Me- part 1

After my first post, I Skyped my youngest daughter (following my own instructions to connect with someone in your family), she says..."you have to post something about you so people can connect to you!"  Smart kid, what would I do without her?

I sometimes tell people I was raised by wolves.  I'm the second of five kids and the only girl.  Let that sink in. I love my brothers, and they have taught me a lot.  I can still whistle loudly enough to get kids attention across the park, turn my eyelids inside out, and if I tried (which I haven't lately) I bet I could still make gross bodily noises with my hand in my armpit. I grew up climbing trees, building forts and making 30 foot leaps into canals and lakes. My childhood years of the 1950's and 60's were filled with independence, exploration and discovery.  My parents loved us and I have many wonderful memories of times spent together. 

One missing piece for me was what I can best describe as direction.  It seems to me that my parents wanted us each to come to our own conclusions of who we were, and what personal values we should hold. Career choices, religion, personal relationship choices were not lengthy discussions that I recall.  Political views against the war (in Vietnam...yeah I'm that old), women's rights, the sexual revolution, the right of educators to unionize and strike (both parents were educators) were all dinner table talk.  I knew that if my older brother's draft number came up in the top of the draft lottery my dad was serious about moving to Canada. But I never knew what my parents thought was I good at or what I should do with my life.  I know my Dad was often very uncomfortable with any discussion he deemed as 'meddling in my life'.  I think I might have liked a little more 'meddling'.  Maybe not.

To be continued......