Lynn

To this point my life has been filled with growing up, raising a family & building a career. Now it feels as though I have come full circle. My family is grown, my responsibilities & obligations have been fulfilled & I'm single again. So in a way, I am at the jumping off point to live my life all over again. Who out there hasn't wished they could start all over & do it all again? Well as fate would have it I actually have that opportunity! Granted I'm older & have scars from past battles, but I'm still in decent shape & my mind still functions well -- on most days. Hopefully, this time I will use the lessons learned in the 'school of hard knocks' to make better choices.

I grew up in a large family, before computers were in every house. There were always plenty of chores to do. A large family meant that there was always someone on my side & someone to fight with over trivial kids' stuff. I learned to cook, can, take care of a garden, take care of myself & to take responsibility for my choices. Curfew was set by the street lights. Neighborhoods were safe enough that kids could roam around on their own without having to be worried about getting snatched. As the years went by the family broke up & spread out.

When I got married & had my own kids, I did the best I could to figure out the 'right' answers to the problems life threw my way. Like most parents, many times I was wrong. To look at my kids all grown-up & making their own way in this world now, I guess I didn't make any horrible mistakes. We all survived! They are all strong, independent, self-sufficient adults struggling, with some of the same questions I had so many years ago.

My career has been more a series of jobs than a long-term commitment to any one company. I have put myself through school a couple times . . . sort of makes up for dropping out of high school. I'm not in upper management or even middle management, but that was never a goal to begin with, so I don't feel that I have missed anything there. At this point, I'm ready to change jobs again. This time I want to do something that feeds my soul. Working for a pay check was necessary in the past, but now money isn't that much of an issue. I'm not rich, but my debts are paid off & I only have to feed myself rather than a family. So as I said, money isn't the main goal any more.