As promised, I said I would delve into something that stuck in my head – “always the joiner.†I wonder in what context I should take that. I’ve been trying to reflect back on what I’m joined over the past years. Three years out of high school, I joined the Air Force and went into a career field that had recently been opened to women. I joined a couple bowling leagues while I was stationed on Okinawa. Then I got out and went back to the states. Went to the cold north – North Dakota. Didn’t do much of anything there – was busy raising a two year old, a newborn and trying to stay warm. Headed to the Deep South in 1983 and decided to go back to school in 1984. Troy State University at Montgomery was no Boston University but at least I was ready for it. CLEPed Math, College Algebra, Biology and Physical Science and my Air Force training gave me enough additional credits to knock out a years worth of credits before I even cracked a book. After my first year of attendance, I was invited to join Gamma Beta Phi – a National Honor Society. Looks like I managed to go three years without joining anything. 1985 I was elected Chapter President and held that position until 1988. In 1987 I was also elected State President and held that position for 3 terms. Then in 1988 I was elected to the National Executive Committee – a position I held for three years. I finished my degree in 1988 and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a double major in Psychology and Sociology. In 1985 I also went back to work full-time. It kept me busy.
I’d started my Masters program right after finishing the Bachelors. Had Megan during the Summer Quarter – I have fun stories about timing contractions in class. I had gotten a great job with the VA as a Vocational Rehab Specialist; I was down to my comps and one class – an elective – when we moved to Maryland. I was back to being the full-time mom. Life had turned upside down.
After nine months in Maryland, we moved in with my sister in Virginia. That was a long six months with three kids living in her basement. At the end of the school year, the girls went on to Georgia to be with their dad. I honestly didn’t think I could keep up the emotional support system – long story here too. I delayed my joining the girls in Georgia while I sorted some things out.
Got the girls into school in the fall and I resumed being a full-time mom. Started back bowling since the oldest daughter, Vanessa was getting really good. I already had been taking her to a variety of youth bowling events starting back in Maryland (she had actually started bowling when we lived in Montgomery). I continued to take her to tournaments throughout Georgia. I got bored and got a part-time job at the bowling center.
Guess I should have just stayed home. Things just went down hill in Georgia. The now ex traveled all the time and many of the self-reflective lessons from college were starting to make sense. I finally admitted how unhappy I was and in 1997 I got divorced. And that is yet another can of worms.
I could continue on with some of my latest joinings but I’ll save that for another day. I consider my joinings as accomplishments but I suppose they reflect more on the “follower†side of me. I’m not a trail-blazer; I suppose some would even try to say I can’t stand alone on my own two feet. And now you’d say I’ve rationalized this to death…
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