A Look Back Over 60 Years

I gave myself a day to think about this because yesterday I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being old like my mom was. I am the baby of the family. I don't get old. I laid in bed last night and thought about the last 60 years or rather the ones that I remember. I was going to post 60 years in about 20 pictures but I couldn't find the ones that I wanted. I like the idea so I will do it but it won't be till the first of the year.

The first 10: I have vague memories of early childhood. I remember I used to bite the toes and fingers off my dolls and I cut my Barbie doll's hair. I would sit by our bookcases that were near a furnace vent, and it was so warm in the winter. Had my tonsils and adenoids removed. I was horse crazy. I played hide and seek with my collie dog Queenie. I wasn't a bad child, I was just active and into a lot of things. I was attached to my mom and had a hard time even spending the night at friends homes. I loved to read and by the time I was 10 I had read all the horse books I could find and had progressed to the Bond Series by Ian Fleming(I had to sneak them out of the library and back in when I was finished)I probably had ADD because I just wasn't that into school. I was a "dreamer, with a great imagination". In other words I lied and didn't pay attention in class. I remember telling my 1st grade teacher Mrs. Oliver that I was late for school because a bear chased me to Lee Leman's house and I had to hide. I had to repeat the first grade. I was chubby and it should have caused me problems but I lived in a make believe world inhabited by horses and I was pretty happy.


The second 10:( Age 10 through 20). Wow I went from fat to thin. Got picked for our high school dance team the Wesketts, discovered boys, still had trouble studying. I performed in the 1969 Rose Bowl Parade. I got by and sometimes made the honor roll but it just wasn't important enough to give up my evenings and I was passing. I went to all three "senior" proms. I was a prom 'Ho". I just loved to get dressed up. I remember taking Latin for years and really enjoyed it(who the hell enjoys Latin??? I really think I was a closet nerd)I was active in our Presbyterian Church where my mom was the secretary. I didn't get my drivers licence till I was 19 because someone was always available to drive me around. I had my heart broken a few times and broke my share. I was still horse crazy. I lost my mother's parents during the second ten years. I got my first job at Taco Bell and worked at a Kingswood Kennel with Elva Alexander and rode her husband Bob's Saddle bred gaited horses. I did stable work at Thunderbird Acres in exchange for riding lessons. I had three serious boyfriends.


The third 10: (between 20 and 30) These went by more quickly. I graduated from nursing school, got engaged twice, (the first I refused a ring and got a ten speed engagement bike instead). I realized I made a mistake and traded all the china I had collected in for horse equipment and bought the first of my two Arabian horses. I realized that I needed Jesus in my life, got saved, and then proceeded to let the devil run my life for a time. I married a doctor and had my son Joshua and got a divorce. By this time I had my second horse. I had to sell both horses to survive. I lived in Gulf Breeze, Florida near the beach in English Cove Apartments. I married Stan and had Becky. During this third 10 years I moved to three different states, I flew on Life Flight in Pensacola, Florida, met Bob Hope( sorry but he was an ass)worked in 3 different Emergency departments and ran an ER at Humana Hospital in College Station, Texas. I lectured about child abuse and molestation...... and I gained weight.


The fourth 10: (Ages 30 through 40). Moved to Louisiana, discovered what a horror public school was in this state. Worked in Psych, Rehab, ER, was the manager of a Medical?Surgical Floor. Placed my daughter at Academy of Sacred Heart and fought to keep my son in school by enrolling him in a Christian School that turned out not so Christian. Discovered my son was an awesome dancer. Showed Gordon Setters or rather I tried to do so with the help of friends! Continued to gain weight. Worked more and more kept one job and had several part time jobs.

The fifth 10: (ages 40 through 50) Continued to work. Let my son move to New Orleans and dance professionally. Did not sleep well for years. Learned that a broken heart and worry will not kill you. Had my gallbladder removed. Had my knee operated for a torn meniscus. Lost 115 pounds and looked great! Watched my daughter bloom personally and in school. Got fired for the only time in my nursing career. ( have since learned that the heifer who fired me has been terminated from several jobs.... just proves what goes around comes around)Watch my son hit the bottom and rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Got our first computer. Continued to keep my weight down. Watch Becky get her high school diploma and start college. Watched my daughter grow in education and decide on nursing. My dad died. The Towers were destroyed 9/11/01 and I became a news junkie. I kept my weight off.

The sixth 10: (ages 50 through 60) My mother died and a piece of my heart. My fear of flying grew. I developed breast cancer and elected for a bilateral mastectomy with implant placement. Worked and continue to do so in a small ED. My daughter and my son both got married and brought Shane and Sydni into our family. Becky started on her masters and Joshua has a dancing school and moved it to 4 different locations. My brother in law Bob died and Joshua's half sister Chelsea was killed with in 24 hours of each other. I continue to work as much as I can. I am still broke. I gained and gained and gained weight. I am still the baby in the family but I am an old baby. My sister's and I "found" our oldest half sister(my dad's first child) JoAnne and reunited with her. I started to blog, became a computer junkie. I am a mixed political person. I have a few liberal ideas but believe only in a very small government. I can't stand the current president. I don't want to live in a socialist country.

What I have discovered is that we have become too politically correct. We don't allow our children to lose at anything because losing will make their little witty feelings hurt. We squash individualism. We don't discipline our kids and have a generation of children believe that they are OWED a check for doing nothing. God is being forced into a box where he cannot offend anyone. We have taken prayer out of school and allowed illegal immigrants to remain in our country untouched and in fact rewarded. Our president wants us all to be equal. He wants the rich to share with the poor. Those who have worked to take care of those who don't want to. I am afraid of what is going to happen in the next 10 years of my life. I will remain a news junkie and won't limit myself to one channel because I might get brainwashed. I will demand the people that feed me information be correct... and I will check. I will vote for anyone except Obama, he has nearly ruined this country. I want to live in a capitalistic country where work is rewarded. I am grateful to be part of the generation that invented the computer, put a man on the moon and invented cool whip. The next ten years will find me in prayer for my family, our nation and the world.