GETTING TO KNOW ME

Rick Van Der Linden with wife, Sandy.

Father, Grandfather, Writer, Musician, Polio Survivor

Former businessman and long distance cyclist.

I was born in Long Beach, raised on a dairy and then a farm. Hard work was a normal part of life as I kept up with my brothers in spite of some slight weakness left over from a 1953 bout with polio.

Although I was not an outstanding student, I think it was quite an accomplishment to survive twelve years of Catholic school. Between that and the farm work I certainly had no fear of hard work and self discipline.

Sandy and I were married in 1965, right out of high school. I made our living while learning the machinist trade as Sandy kept house for me and our growing family. We had three sons in seven years.

In 1978, after selling our first house and moving to a rural area of Southern California, I used $1500.00 of the profit to buy my first machine. It was a Swiss Automatic Screw machine, designed and built in Switzerland for making watch parts. I used it for making electronic, medical, hardware and other miniature parts. By 1990 I owned fifteen automatic machines (and a large variety of other production machines) and employed a half dozen people.

By this time my three sons were grown and on their own. One an engineer, one a nurse, and one a machinist with his own business. All three married and produced seven grandchildren.

In the late nineteen eighties I started to experience the late effects of polio. Pain and weakness in my hands, arms and legs prevented me from doing the manual part of running the shop, and an increasing sensitivity to stress made managing a business impossible.

One of the changes I made during my physical slow down was to become computer literate. It seemed like a natural thing since my memory was failing due to the central fatigue which resulted from overworking my PPS weakened body and mind. I learned to do programming on a Macintosh and wrote my own shop software which allowed me to keep the busy shop going while only spending an hour or two per day at the desk. It was a decision that allowed me to keep the business going for an additional two years.

In 1996, after years of trying to overcome the weakness of Post Polio syndrome, I finally had to give up and start collecting disability.

A few hobbies have stayed with me throughout the years and have become an important part of my life. As a teenager, I started writing poetry and playing the guitar. Later, when the boys were older and I had more time, I started playing more music. I sang lead and harmony and played rhythm guitar, lead electric, bass (both upright and electric), and mandolin. For a dozen good years I played at dances and bars and parties with anyone and everyone who played. I had my own country music band for five years and later a one-man-band with the computer as back-up, and Sandy for duets. Now I play music when I can. I also write PPS related articles for my newsletter and have written a collection of poetry and songs. I'm also working on a couple of book ideas.

I have also kept a little piece of my trade. I have, in my garage, a small computerized lathe that I use for making miniature dollhouse items - acrylic glasses, bottles and jars in 1 inch to a foot and smaller scales. I can only operate it for an average of about four hours a week, so there is no profit in it except that Sandy does finish work and markets the few things I make.

It makes me feel worthwhile to use my creativity and years of experience writing, playing music and making miniature things.

Click here to see Linden Swiss Miniatures

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