About me
In somewhat reverse order, blog style, some
information about me.
My name is Jim Monk and I live in Belle River, Ontario. I moved here from nearby Windsor in October of 2005.
On July 1st, 2003 I retired from DaimlerChrysler Canada. An hourly paid worker, member of local 444, C.A.W., I spent three decades on the assembly lines of the company's truck, engine, car and minivan plants here in town. I had hundreds of different jobs, from spot welding to grinding crankshafts and finally, for the last few years, a production coordinator. During the last downsizing I took advantage of an early retirement offer and at the tender age of 51 began collecting a full pension. I'm a very lucky man.
When not at work I was a social activist, particularly in the areas of gay rights and AIDS. I accomplished a few things and got some recognition. I came out at work back in the late 1970s and then ran as an openly gay candidate for the school board (and lost.) I was chairperson of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario from 1979 to 81. I wrote for Canada's national gay journal, The Body Politic, and was their cover boy on one issue. I hosted a gay radio program on the university radio station. In the 1980s I helped to found and lead the local and provincial AIDS organizations. The Windsor Star and United Way named me their health services volunteer of the year back, I think, in 1990 (can't find the plaque but it's around here somewhere.) Windsor's Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee named me Man of the Year in 1992 (certificate is still up on the wall.)
After abandoning religion in my mid teens (My mom was a Jehovah's Witness) I became a socialist. Well actually that was a transition that took several years. While still in high school I briefly joined the New Democratic Party and participated in its far left caucus, known as The Waffle. Then a local group of labour activists invited me to join a project that became a centre for much of the Left in Windsor. Participating in one of the three factions within the group I wrote part of a pamphlet entitled "Out of the Driver's Seat," which clearly I have stolen for the name of this blog. Our faction rejected the old Left concept of a vanguard of intellectuals leading the working class. We were greatly influenced by Marty Glaberman, a professor in Detroit who had long been associated with the West Indian Marxist C L R James. Marty became a friend and mentor and several of us helped him with his publishing company, Bewick Editions, until his death on December 17, 2001. I was the administrator for Bewick/ed's web site.
My other big discovery in high school was the writer Ivan Illich, beginning with his book Deschooling Society. This had a lot to do with my decision not to go to university although it was also pretty trendy back then for radicals to join the proletariat at work. Although I liked most of my teachers I found high school to be boring and irrelevant. My experience later with several university courses confirmed my dissatisfaction with graded curriculum. I prefer libraries. In terms of income as well as the freedom to pursue my other interests I've done much better as an autoworker than many of my classmates who went on to get degrees. That option is much less available today, as the big employers prefer to hire college graduates even for factory jobs. A high school diploma isn't what it used to be. Illich was right. We are wasting the lives of young adults in years of education they will never use.
In my last years in school I neglected my classes and concentrated on extra curricular activities. This had the added advantage of keeping me away from home (Mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was in grade 11.) I was in the drama club, on the dance committee, manager of the football and wrestling teams and president of the students council. In fact I was president of the council for two years (we had to amend the constitution) and ended up chairing the city and provincial associations of student councils as well. And although technically not extracurricular (the school board took a vote) some friends and I published a city wide underground student newspaper which we called Thot. It was very popular, thanks in part to the board's official disapproval.
One last factoid. For about 12 years after high school I was an amateur wrestling referee and worked my way up that hierarchy to officiate at several world championships and chair the provincial and national organizations. If the AIDS epidemic hadn't come along I like to think I might have had time to qualify for the Olympics.
But that was the past. Now when people ask me what I'm doing I tell them I'm reading and writing, more of the former than the latter, although I do admit to working on a novel.
That's me so far. More to come as the future unfolds.
My name is Jim Monk and I live in Belle River, Ontario. I moved here from nearby Windsor in October of 2005.
On July 1st, 2003 I retired from DaimlerChrysler Canada. An hourly paid worker, member of local 444, C.A.W., I spent three decades on the assembly lines of the company's truck, engine, car and minivan plants here in town. I had hundreds of different jobs, from spot welding to grinding crankshafts and finally, for the last few years, a production coordinator. During the last downsizing I took advantage of an early retirement offer and at the tender age of 51 began collecting a full pension. I'm a very lucky man.
When not at work I was a social activist, particularly in the areas of gay rights and AIDS. I accomplished a few things and got some recognition. I came out at work back in the late 1970s and then ran as an openly gay candidate for the school board (and lost.) I was chairperson of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario from 1979 to 81. I wrote for Canada's national gay journal, The Body Politic, and was their cover boy on one issue. I hosted a gay radio program on the university radio station. In the 1980s I helped to found and lead the local and provincial AIDS organizations. The Windsor Star and United Way named me their health services volunteer of the year back, I think, in 1990 (can't find the plaque but it's around here somewhere.) Windsor's Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee named me Man of the Year in 1992 (certificate is still up on the wall.)
After abandoning religion in my mid teens (My mom was a Jehovah's Witness) I became a socialist. Well actually that was a transition that took several years. While still in high school I briefly joined the New Democratic Party and participated in its far left caucus, known as The Waffle. Then a local group of labour activists invited me to join a project that became a centre for much of the Left in Windsor. Participating in one of the three factions within the group I wrote part of a pamphlet entitled "Out of the Driver's Seat," which clearly I have stolen for the name of this blog. Our faction rejected the old Left concept of a vanguard of intellectuals leading the working class. We were greatly influenced by Marty Glaberman, a professor in Detroit who had long been associated with the West Indian Marxist C L R James. Marty became a friend and mentor and several of us helped him with his publishing company, Bewick Editions, until his death on December 17, 2001. I was the administrator for Bewick/ed's web site.
My other big discovery in high school was the writer Ivan Illich, beginning with his book Deschooling Society. This had a lot to do with my decision not to go to university although it was also pretty trendy back then for radicals to join the proletariat at work. Although I liked most of my teachers I found high school to be boring and irrelevant. My experience later with several university courses confirmed my dissatisfaction with graded curriculum. I prefer libraries. In terms of income as well as the freedom to pursue my other interests I've done much better as an autoworker than many of my classmates who went on to get degrees. That option is much less available today, as the big employers prefer to hire college graduates even for factory jobs. A high school diploma isn't what it used to be. Illich was right. We are wasting the lives of young adults in years of education they will never use.
In my last years in school I neglected my classes and concentrated on extra curricular activities. This had the added advantage of keeping me away from home (Mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was in grade 11.) I was in the drama club, on the dance committee, manager of the football and wrestling teams and president of the students council. In fact I was president of the council for two years (we had to amend the constitution) and ended up chairing the city and provincial associations of student councils as well. And although technically not extracurricular (the school board took a vote) some friends and I published a city wide underground student newspaper which we called Thot. It was very popular, thanks in part to the board's official disapproval.
One last factoid. For about 12 years after high school I was an amateur wrestling referee and worked my way up that hierarchy to officiate at several world championships and chair the provincial and national organizations. If the AIDS epidemic hadn't come along I like to think I might have had time to qualify for the Olympics.
But that was the past. Now when people ask me what I'm doing I tell them I'm reading and writing, more of the former than the latter, although I do admit to working on a novel.
That's me so far. More to come as the future unfolds.
Posted: Sat - July 19, 2003 at 07:44 PM
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Published On: Sep 12, 2007 03:13 PM
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