Sunday Scribblings: Misspent Youth

Sorry, I think my youth was well spent.

I was a good girl growing up. Kind of boring, really. The only child of a Marine/police officer and a nurse, I walked the straight and narrow until my mid-20s when I moved from home. I never stayed out late, never drank (not really), never missed worked (had a job at 16)—didn’t even kiss a boy until college. Still, they worried about me even when they didn’t need to, but that’s what parents do, as I am surely finding out firsthand.

When I was younger, I wanted to own a nightclub (*smile*)! I remember there being no place really safe for young people to hang out except the mall, so I thought having a club where 16-year olds could dance but not drink would be fun. Then I took an 8 a.m. economics course which cured me of that! Dropping it allowed me to focus on subjects that I loved, such as English lit. I took a creative writing course and knew liberal arts, specifically poetry, was something I wanted to pursue.

My biggest complaint with the college and university system is that they don’t prepare English majors for the real world. I remember my father saying that with a degree in English I could go into almost any field. But what I needed was personal finance and career guidance on what to do with this major. I still hold out hope that one day I will be U.S. Poet Laureate … it can happen!

I think my younger self would be surprised yet pleased at how my life has turned out. My dad always thought I would be famous for something—being a lawyer or a newscaster. But he has no complaints about how things turned out: married with a beautiful husband and kids. Healthy and happy with a job I enjoy. Life is good.

Again, I’m available for the laureateship at anytime.

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