Global Community: Connecting Two Worlds

Tony Goudin and his lovely wife Onette Goudin

I met Tony Goudin about a year ago when I placed an order for basketball uniforms through his company Wagadoo.  I was automatically drawn to his calm and easy way of speaking.  He listened to every word, remembered every detail, and never seemed eager to interrupt or rush me off the phone.  He is good at what he does, mastering the art of suggestion and light conversation. Tony's tone lowered my guard and calmed my anxieties, never a pitch too high or low, like a perfectly tuned guitar strumming the days troubles away.

In a few conversations we developed a special connection.  I shared some stories of my life and he shared stories of his.  I think I truly enjoyed our connection because I lost my father 17 years ago to lung cancer, and in the under currents of my life, I yearned to reconnect with a ghost or spirit that was my father.  Tony, some may say involuntarily, graciously filled my cup and I am truly grateful for him.

As a Filipino American, I have a slight disconnect with the Philippines, though I was raised in a family that spoke four dialects with uncles and aunts reminding my brother and I of how lucky we are to be "FilAms".  Tony helped connect the dots from stories of his life that paralleled my mother's and grandmother's life in the Philippines.  His stories are interesting, fascinating and inspiring and I will be sharing some of them with you all.

With his permission I will be sharing emails, pictures and videos that we share.  Our hope is to connect two worlds that is not just separated by an ocean, but by a generation of "FilAms" and "Homeland" Filipinos redefining what it is to be Filipino in this global community.

Maxwell Gatzby