A Woman - Back-Story

I don’t know if you are like me, but my story just seems so boring to me, hence the dog’s back-story first. Yada, yada, yada and I am falling asleep thinking of my story.  Okay – I was raised in Springfield (no, not where the Simpsons live) and had a relatively normal childhood.  My family has had its tragedies like most families.  If you think most families are dysfunctional, then mine probably was.  My dad was a WWII veteran, so like many of my friends’ dads, he thought you should pretty much salute and do what you were told.  My parents loved me and cared for me.  I wasn’t physically abused or sexually abused.  They paid for me to attend college and I didn’t have to work for spending money.  I think I was lucky.

I married a college sweetheart, had a baby, and moved to Oklahoma for several years.  Moved back to Ohio and my husband had an affair that caused the end of the marriage.  Divorce was probably good for me because it made me look at my future, my interests and my ambition.  While working at what is now called Family and Children Services, I started our county’s battered women’s program.  My interest was heightened from seeing women come into the office who needed help and the realization that my high school sweetheart whom I got involved with after my divorce was abusive.  I loved the work and was the director for about nine years.  I created a lot of innovative programming, but responsibility for all funding and grant writing fell on me.  I didn’t see a way for me to get out from it and began to feel burned out.  I left that position to become first an assistant director, then ED of a public entity from which I will be retiring.

Along the way I got my master’s degree, remarried, raised my son, took up cross country skiing, got into dog agility, did a lot of traveling, camping, hiking, bike riding, canoeing and most recently took up yoga.  I’ve kept my involvement with the domestic violence program and another non-profit that focuses on housing for low-income folks.  I have tried to have meaning in my life while doing activities that I enjoy.  Remember – not waiting for tomorrow because it may never arrive.  My personality is pretty positive and I have never suffered from depression except after my divorce.  This isn’t to say that I am always happy – but many days are awesome!!  So in a nutshell, that’s my story.  Not quite as exciting as the dog.