I came to Introductions today, and realized I never did introduce myself, I just sort of landed, plop--TDK, save me!--when Bob died. I've since been finding my place in TDK land, which instantly felt like home. I know I don't say much about myself other than the cares of the immediate day. I'm medium-protective of my online identity because of the therapy work I do.
Okay, as fast as possible...I grew up in a tiny community called Eylau, outside Texarkana. I graduated from high school with the same people with whom I went to pre-school. My mom had been to grade school with *their* mothers. Tight little place, very loving and nurturing.
My parents adored each other, and the three of us talked constantly. What a gift! My dad was diagnosed with Hodgkins's disease when I was nine. It was already Stage IV. He entered a stage 3 clinical trial at MD Anderson and miraculously lived until I was 16. So, no siblings. Lots of cousins that work just as well.
Went to UT on a journalism scholarship, minored in Middle Eastern Studies, and planned to be the first female reporter out of the Middle East. Remember God laughs when we make plans. I met my soulmate the first week of college, we were together all four years, but did not marry. Now that's a long story.
In a fit of uncertainly after college, I stayed here in Austin and worked for the state writing and taking photos of oil and gas installations and disasters. Very interesting work, but pathetic pay. Met long term boyfriend #2, dated four years, split because he was an a**. Followed him to Dallas (nobody's perfect)and went to work for the corporate behemoth EDS. I became a corp comm/pr/speechwriting person. Met wondrous boyfriend #3, dated four years, split over irreconcilable geographic differences. Was at EDS nearly 10 years. Loved everything I was learning. But Austin called...not Cupid this time, just needed to throw those navy blue pumps into the dumpster and wear jeans and boots for a while. Maybe forever.
And here I am. I started freelancing as a speechwriter, etc, in Austin in 1996. Decided to do something different after the dot.com crash, went back to grad school, became a therapist. Getting a practice started is harder than I ever could have imagined.
I still have the following: my first friend (43 years and going strong)...my best friends from college, first, second and third jobs, my faith in humanity. Mom is right where I left her when I was 17, and I wear my dad's watch every day, not that I need to be reminded. He's always on my mind. My hair's still blonde, but yeah, with a highlight or two or two hundred.
Things I've lost: most of my East Texas twang, my waistline, my belief in a Mr. Lisa. My light touch with my putter. Any affection for warm weather. Five cats: Siam (1971-1983), Mr. Kitten (1983-1993), Kerrie the Magnificent (1987-1999), Jasmine Lee (1997-2006) and Bob. For reasons I can't explain, Bob was the worst.
And I've happily abandoned the certainty that I'm ever 100 percent right about anything, that there's any situation that's black-and-white, and the illusion that love and hate are opposites and cannot exist in the same place.
Okay, if you read all this babble, you pretty much know my story!
