Inspire Me Today has asked for a 200-word autobiography. I'm almost 91. That gives me nearly 2¼ words per year. Here goes:
I was born in 1921 to a loving, stable, prosperous family and had a happy childhood.
Came the Great Depression, hard times.
I managed to fulfill my dream (and expectation) of going to college but, after one year, had to drop out because my dad was desperately sick. My older brother only managed to finish at Notre Dame U. because a relative helped.
I waitressed for 13 months to support my family. No government safety-nets. My dad recovered.
Resumed college education, supported by on-campus job, small scholarship, summer waitressing, my big brother who helped.
World War II. I graduated, married, had a baby girl. Husband wounded in Europe, but lived and returned to graduate school on GI Bill.
We settled at a small Maryland College, raised ten energetic children, both earned graduate degrees, built a six-bedroom house (lots of sweat equity). I supervised the Frederick County Adult Education program.
Bads: Son Don wounded in Vietnam; nineteen-year-old Sara killed in a freak accident; Bob dying of cancer after teaching college Latin for 36 years.
Goods: loving Bob tremendously and being loved tremendously in return; our children; rewarding job teaching and supervising Adult Education program; late career writing novels.
I am woman, wife, mother, neighbor, teacher, and storyteller.
