By Josip Bogovic
Antonio Maver: Nearing his 93rd birthday, Mr. Maver is an outstanding example of life of purpose, love of life, internal strength and mental toughness.
Having worked in the medical field for decades and witnessing the breakdown of people and their organs in a critical care setting, it seemed normal that I should have an interest in health and longevity. On the flip side it is ironic that most of my medical colleges did not have such an interest, for western medicine is not focused on prevention, but is excellent in emergency/critical care. Health has many components, including genetics (genomics), environment, diet, mental state/outlook etc. One way to get insight into the above topic is to speak with people living vibrantly into their 90’s. Their life story, attitudes and daily engagements shine a light into the dynamic that is life itself. The Buddhist say: Eat when hungry, sleep when sleepy, rest when tired. It makes complete sense, but our western work focused life goes against these self-evident states.
Adversity: Antonio Maver was born in May 1932 on the island of Cres, in the village of Stivan. One of six children, life until the age of 20 involved farming and fishing.
“Youth is always a fun time until you are near 20 years of age when you look to break out on your own. My perception was that I did not have opportunities in employment and substantial improvement in lifestyle so me and a buddy, Amalio Bolan, escaped Yugoslavia, as did many young men of my island. In 1955 we set sail for Italy under the cover of night in what was a 5 meter boat. The escape was a life and death decision. If the coast guard catches you, they are allowed to shoot you dead, as it happened to some young men in the process of escaping. The other problem was the thin fuel canister we hid for the journey sprouted a leak draining most of the fuel. We only had a sail and our muscles for the 90 mile journey to Ancona. With our muscles swollen we were fortunate to run into a fishing boat for the last 6 miles. We got picked up by Italian authorities and dropped off at the Udine Immigrant Camp. Connections are a very important aspect of survival especially for immigrants. After spending several months in Udine I made it to my sister who lived in Geneva. She connected me to a fellow Croatian that worked on an American passenger ship called the Homeik (a US co, Homeline). It was a 25-thousand-ton ship, the biggest I’ve ever seen. It came to Italy for repair once a year. With my mechanical skills I accumulated as a young man helped me out on my new journey. You must understand that competition was extreme, there were hundreds of men waiting to fill a job opening on the ship. When I went to see this gentleman, everyone was looking at me strangely as to how I skipped the long unemployment line. I was determined to succeed on the boat and my journey”, said the thoughtful gentleman.
In Antonio’s case we see that adversity in his case made his body armor/genes stronger. We must remember that the goal of any organism is to keep on living and when you look at the eyes of the seasoned gentlemen the look of determination to survive is unmistakable. Mr. Maver employment was valued by the US company for they helped him obtain papers to embark on US territory in 1959. Antonio married fellow villager Lidia, in Italy, where she was also a refugee a day before he departed for America.
“When I came to America, shortly thereafter I interviewed for a mechanics position at the Metro Systems yellow cab company. The company had 200 to 300 cars. The company was half owned by a fellow Croatian from my island, Andy Harabaja, later changed last name to Harris. Ultimately, I was hired by a fellow from my island who I did not know. He recognized my last name and said that when our fathers were soldiers in WW2 and being treated in the same hospital, my father wrote letters on his behalf to family. Well, that deed, intertwined history was helpful in me gaining employment at the cab company. Having luck, receiving mercy and being focused on your journey are important components of a successful outcome, that is your life. My days in the army taught me organization and discipline, traits that were very useful throughout my life,” said the wise gentleman. Antonio worked at Metro for 53 years, 25 of which he spent as the head of all the mechanics. Just imaging working a physical job for all those years, it’s a feat for supermen”.
Mr. Maver, what did life teach you? “To keep your job, try to understand and be kind to your workers and fellow human beings. My mother said: ‘work hard and save your money for a rainy day’, and I took her advice”.
What is the meaning of your life? “Make an effort to be happy. Focus on things that are important to you, family, various hobbies and so on. I lived my life in the straight and narrow. I only drink wine and not excessively. I do make my own wine and I don’t overeat. I always kept constructively busy. I’m not and never was a couch potato; I keep my body moving. Have a vision for yourself. I saw what successful people were doing around me, thus I invested in real estate early on. I wanted to be financially independent and give my daughters an educational opportunity to better their life. To relax I went to Croatia 35 years in a row and fixed our family home. I went there last year as well; I love to fish in the Adriatic. I’m a member of the Anchor Society which has existed for over 105 years, thus stay with like minded people. I had a core group of friends, two families in particular (Muzic, Basic). We are one another’s support system. When I retired, I focused on my garden which contains many, many fruits and vegetables, figs, persimmons, kiwi, peaches, grapes and so on. The process of gardening makes me very happy. In the winter I carve figures out of wood and combine those shapes with metal”.
Whatever question you ask Antonio Maver he has a sensible concise answer that has been woven in the fabric of his being, the answers have been actualized throughout his life in a consistent intentional manner. His every word has the proper amount of weight and is balanced to deliver a precise message.
In Antonio’s case we see that his life has a rhythm, rituals, purpose, determination to see his goals realized. It also has pause and rest, i.e. the trips to Croatia, club activities, family time. Most of all he is driven, enthusiastic, thankful, happy to live another day.
“Life is One, either you are going to go about it in an honest or crooked way, the choice is yours. In my case I value hard work. I don’t want God to take me even one hour before He has to”.
Listen to Croatians Online here:
Croatian American Media Association Corp is a tax exempt organization under Section 501 c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (EIN # 99-1591741). Your donation is greatly appreciated and will be used to support our mission. Your contribution is tax deductible to the full extent permitted by law.
