CHAPTER 1 ~ GETTING THERE
Too young to retire
August 5
I'm a tree hugger, and I love Earth Day. I "discovered" it on it's second year - 1971. Our wonderful Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, started it. This is a day of renewal, a great way to celebrate spring and all that is possible in this world.
I married a second time, adopted two daughters, and rejoined the Church. These were all drastic decisions for me, because they are all things I said I'd never do.
But these decisions did help me begin the healing process. It took time, mentors, and hard work with a life coach to reclaim my authenticity and heal my spirit. This book and photo album record my journey to get there.
This picture was taken at St. Richard's of Chichester Church in Racine, WI, at my daughters' baptisms.
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Manifesting Paradise ~ Book Photos
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It's fun to look back on this picture and see the excitement in my face. It was close to the end of my Ph.D. and I was ready to take on the world. Then I took a job, and corporate life changed me.
This picture is taken on the main street of my hometown, Manitowoc, WI. The artwork on the grain silos is pretty telling of our blue collar culture. The lighting is dim because I took this picture at 5:30 am before the traffic started.
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Here's the corporate me. I wore the standard power suit (although this blouse is a bit on the wild side), complete with leather briefcase. Women of that time read John T. Molloy's "Dress for Succcess for Women," and we joined the workforce dressed in uniform.
It felt strange, in fact it strangled me. Eventually, I had to get out - of the suit and the corporation.
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Dr. Chuck was my first mentor. I was his lab assistant for his biology lab classes. His wife Marilyn was an important role model for me because my hometown, Manitowoc, was largely blue collar. There were no female role models other than teachers and nurses in those days.
Marilyn worked interesting jobs with social services and nonprofits. It opened my eyes to what I could do, even with a degree in Home Economics.
In my junior year, I finally transferred to UW-Madison where I received Bachelor and Master's Degrees. At the time it had the reputation for being a politically active campus. The folks at Berkeley called us Berkeley East, but we called them Madison West.
I was already a maverick in high school. This is our high school graduation ceremony: young men in dark suits and young women in sweet pastels. And then there was me, in a black and white dress with an open back. I made the dress; such a weird combination of domesticity and nonconformity.
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The summer I graduated from high school was the last hurrah for campus protestors with the bombing of Sterling Hall on the campus of UW-Madison. But it exemplified the unsettled times in which I was developing my adult outlook on life. For more information on the bombing see the Wikipedia link here..
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