Oral History Project - Evan Amadio by Evan Amadio

Tell me about a passion or interest you have. When did you become interested in this? What should we know about it?

137525_2 — 2025-01-08 14:38:01 UTC

My current favorite hobby is fishing. Another one of my jobs growing up was at a country club that had a big lake. I worked maintenance outside and as a waiter/bartender inside, in addition to work with weddings. The best part of it was when I wasn't working, I still had access to the entirety of the club–most importantly the lake and the boats. My enjoyment for fishing stemmed from this point in my life–it gave me a deep respect for the hobby. I never realized how lucky I was to have such great opportunities to fish there as a kid, I can truly appreciate it now. As of recent, I stopped working as much as I had over the past couple of decades, so my love for fishing has gradually returned. While the lakes around us in Pennsylvania are great, nothing compares to surfing from the beach shore. I'm really grateful that we have the ability to be at the beach whenever, and I try to take advantage of it as much as possible now. Surfcasting and all associated activities–like capturing bait and tying fishing knots–has become my ideal pastime.

Talk about a song that captured a specific memory in your life.

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:50:39 UTC

Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden. I saw Iron Maiden in concert in North Jersey a long while back and that song has been my favorite of theirs for some time. It was an absurdly chaotic concert–the crowd had gone insane. People were flipping cars and setting things on fire. A mob had practically broken out–people were destroying in masses and countless fights broke out. It was like a scene from a movie. I remember just driving away from the area and seeing fires everywhere behind us. It was truly a surreal experience, and hearing that song always brings me back to it.

Describe your first job. What did you do? What details do you remember?

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:52:20 UTC

I first worked for two brothers locally. My first job was landscaping for a guy named Mike Mariani. It was just manual labor at first and eventually I started primarily cutting lawns. Mike's brother owned a separate company and was a general contractor. I framed a house with him one day when he needed help and started working with him more from then on. I enjoyed that work the most–it was mostly remodeling homes which was neat. I was 13 at this time making about $3.85 an hour–a pleasing wage for a kid at the time. I remember in particular how every week we would meet at their sister's house. They would hand out envelopes of the cash, and I was always overjoyed having killed myself throughout the week for the $70 in cash. It was a cool thing, being that young and making some money.

Who was someone that inspired you? Talk a little about this person.

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:52:32 UTC

It's tough for me to pinpoint a singular person–so many people in my life have inspired me in so many ways–my parents, wife, kids, peers, and more. Though, my dad in particular has stood out to me the most. His parents were immigrants, off the boat at Ellis Island. He grew up incredibly poor–his dad was a simple laborer who dug ditches and earned a somewhat meager living, and his older brother mainly took care of him and his siblings, acting as a parental figure. Despite this rather difficult upbringing, he managed to put together a successful life, earning a college degree, achieving a good career, having a great relationship, and starting a nice family. He was a great father too–he raised each an engineer, lawyer, and doctor. His life story in its own has been a large inspiration to my own life.

What do you think peoples’ first impressions are of you?

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:53:27 UTC

People usually see me as a goofy guy. I'm always making stupid jokes or messing with people whenever I can. I try not to take things too seriously whenever I'm able to. Sometimes people don't realize that at first and get weirded out by my first impression, but I don't get too caught up with that. Though, at work or in a professional setting, I am forced to be more serious. I work as an emergency room doctor, so my normal goofy personality isn't super appropriate. There, I'd say I come across as more down-to-earth and affable. I try to act casual and relaxed to make patients more comfortable and avoid acting stupidly as I normally do to avoid upsetting them. I'm still able to have fun while still interacting appropriately with people there.

What is the most memorable thing that has happened in the hospital/at work?

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:53:56 UTC

The kinds of memories that stand out are generally the worst ones. Working as a physician in the emergency room, there are always funny things that people ask me about and tend to but somewhat memorable, but not to the degree of some of the horrors. It usually has to do with terrible things the family of the patient has to deal with–not so much the patient themself. From my experience, the most memorable work has generally been helping a patient and the family through to inevitable death–it is a tough process. Though, one case in particular that has stuck with me was a starved child brought in during my internship. It is one thing to read about these terrible things in the news, but it is remarkably different when you experience it firsthand.

What is your biggest regret?

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:54:10 UTC

I don't have much in the way of regrets. My philosophy is that if I could do it all over again and chose to change something, things won't turn out as wonderful as they are. I have a great appreciation for where I am in life–I have this fantastic existence. I don't believe that I could have made some change in my life that would drastically improve my circumstances–as I see it, there is nowhere but down from here. So, in that sense, my biggest regret is really nothing. There are always little things that I regret doing to some degree–like not seeing some friends as much or drinking. These things are sort of regular regrets though, and wouldn't have much of a lasting impact on my life as is.

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:58:19 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:58:26 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:58:34 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:58:56 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:59:06 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:59:16 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:59:27 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:59:46 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 02:59:54 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 03:03:03 UTC

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 03:03:17 UTC

Born in Passaic, New Jersey

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 03:07:13 UTC

"Repetition is the mother of all learning"

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 03:41:24 UTC

-Zig Ziglar

His favorite quote

Run to the Hills

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 03:42:58 UTC

Surfcasting

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 04:15:19 UTC

Audio Recording

137525_2 — 2025-01-10 07:16:21 UTC