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Max Ryan
Max Ryan grew up in Port Perry and graduated from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in London, Ontario. Soon after graduating he took up a position ...view moreMax Ryan grew up in Port Perry and graduated from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in London, Ontario. Soon after graduating he took up a position with an engineering firm that did work at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS). It was while working there that he met many American contractors who specialized in nuclear contract work within North America. These men and women jokingly called themselves Nuclear Whores and the website in which they found work was called www.RoadWhore.com. According to the online 'Urban Dictionary', a Road Whore is defined as: "A temporary worker from out of town. In engineering and construction, road whores seek out and find massive bonuses, high pay rates, hazardous duty pay, per diem, housing allowances and any form of premium remuneration". Max's new friends taught him the ways of the contractor and he soon began a life as a nuclear contract engineer, moving from project to project around Ontario. After almost fifteen years of this life, Max has recently decided to put down roots, agreeing to a long term position within an engineering organization doing work in the Canadian Nuclear Industry.
SECONDARY PARENT
Soon after beginning his life as a nuclear contract worker, Max met and fell in love with a news journalist while doing improvisation at Second City in Toronto. Three years later they got married. A year after that they gave birth to their son Ty.
Unfortunately their love was short-lived. It ended two years into their marriage while living in Kincardine, Ontario while Max was working under contract at the Bruce Nuclear Facility and she was home with Ty. She packed everything including Ty and moved to Oakville leaving Max in Kincardine, all alone.
Like many parents who suddenly find themselves in this position, Max was surprised when told he was not an equal parent of 1 year old Ty, but was what his divorce lawyer referred to as a "Secondary Parent". As such, Max was not allowed to talk to Ty whenever he wanted or to see him whenever he wanted. Max had to fight to see his own son, and this took time.
Without Ty in his daily life, Max couldn't eat, sleep or work. He was absolutely devastated. After a few days, he went to his family physician who was immediately concerned for Max's well being. This country doctor suggested a personal remedy of his for overcoming difficult times; he told Max to concentrate all his thoughts away from the negativity of the present to the funny, happy stories of his past. He suggested Max try to relive these memories, by recollecting them through painting, writing, songs, etc...
So, Max wrote.
Each day, Max concentrated on one funny, true story from his past. He would think about it for hours at a time, sometimes all day, and then would write it down. It took 40 days for Max's lawyer to get visitation permission for Max to visit Ty in Oakville and in that time he wrote over 30 stories.
Max's book, "Max Ryan: Nuclear Whore" and other Life Stories of a Secondary Parent, is the compilation of those funny, true stories, plus a few more that have happened along the way.view less