A friend encouraged me to start a blog, so here's my inauspicious launch.
I lead what I think is an unconventional life. I chose things to do in my life that make me happy. But it took awhile to find my way. Too often, we make decisions about our direction in life that make others happy. A career path, or education, or even getting married and having kids. And sometimes life just happens, and we either roll with the punches or get rolled over.
For a long time, I knew I didn't want to do what everyone else was doing. I didn't want to get married, until I had made a "name" for myself. I wanted to go to college, the first in my immediate family. I didn't want to have kids until I/we (the elusive "husband") had built a firm foundation of love and respect, and could provide for them an adequate life. Note I said adequate, not comfortable, not luxurious. Adequate, so that we could teach them the value of work and education.
But life happened. My parents didn't think college was necessary for a girl. She was supposed to get married and have kids, run the house for her husband and take care of him. Yeah, my parents grew up in the 50's. The best I could finagle, was a trade school and a fashion design 2-year program. I dislike, intensely, the fashion world that decides what's in and what's not, and what you SHOULD look like. I dislike the industry that banks on people discarding clothes like so much chaff because its out of style this season. What a waste. I do understand that it creates jobs, but who truly benefits? Admit it, most of the people who work hardest are those who are paid the least. Oh well, I can't offer any solutions, except not buy into it. I do buy nice, classic clothing that I can wear season after season, and accessorize. I'm not a complete snob, just not a trendy one.
Anyway, I digress. I dropped out after one semester and went to work. This was in the late 70s. I moved out of the house at 18, into a little duplex with a roommate. Two single girls with their own apartment. Yikes! Not quite a year later, she moved in with her boyfriend and I took another place on my own. I never looked back.
more to come...
