‘Every day’s happy’
Donora retiree reflects on life and sobriety
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a monthlong series of profiles of the people who live and work in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Mark Gajdosic is Donora’s peanut gallery.
“I sit here. I just make comments,” laughed Gajdosic, taking a swig of water and repositioning himself in a folding chair, his front-row seat to anything that happens along once-bustling McKean Avenue.
Gajdosic didn’t grow up in Donora. He’s an Elizabeth, Pa., native, the oldest of two, and a self-admitted “troublemaker.”
“I got high all my life, drank,” said Gajdosic.
Following high school, Gajdosic went straight into the workforce at A1-Babbit, where he was a machinist. That work led him to Donora, where he’s lived for more than 20 years.
Years ago, Gajdosic suffered a workplace injury that nearly ended his life.
“They said I’m lucky to be alive,” Gajdosic said. “I was working down here at a machine shop and it was all heavy equipment. An overhead crane fell on my back and broke it in eight places.”
After recovering, Gajdosic returned to work, but eventually went on disability. He said he was Life-Flighted from the machine shop, the first of two air ambulance rides he’s taken during his lifetime.
The second was for cirrhosis.
“I had to get Life-Flighted to Pittsburgh. I had blood transfusions. I blew up. That was enough drinking for me,” he said.
Gajdosic retired nine years ago and has been sober four-and-a-half (“I figure 40 years of drinking’s enough,” he quipped).
Gajdosic spent the summers of his youth at Virginia Beach and other shore towns closer to Southwestern Pennsylvania with his younger sister and their parents. But one year into his sobriety adventure, he made his way south to the Florida Keys.
“First time on a plane. Sober. Everybody’s like, you’ve got to have a couple of drinks in you. No you don’t. I had a wing window. I’m videotaping. It was awesome,” Gajdosic said.
For a week, the Margaritaville Beach House was his home base with the beach all to himself. And though temperatures soared into the 100s, it was the trip of a lifetime.
“Key West was awesome. White sand. Chickens walk around – why’d that chicken cross the street?” Gajdosic laughed. “I took the shuttle into town, went to the furthest point. I want to go back.”
This summer, though, Gajdosic will spend the days chatting with passersby and keeping tabs on downtown Donora’s goings-on.
Which is fine by Gajdosic.
“Every day’s happy,” he said.