Girl You're Not Gonna Believe This
Yesterday I was sitting by my pond, wondering how it’s crazy how life changes each one of us and as I was sitting there, I just started laughing. I was thinking about how I started my life in the northeast and now homesteaded in south Alabama, it’s been an awesome ride so far. My family moved to Florida from Massachusetts when I was young, and I was raised in central Florida. My mother raised four kids on her own and was always at work, so we learned at a very young age to do chores, cook, clean and take care of each other. I started working when I was 15 and remember I had to lie about my age so I could work. I had my own apartment at 16 and was going to school and working. We 4 kids went straight out of school to 2 of us worked full time in the restaurant industry, one went to work and college and one went to college and straight into the military. We all choose different paths, but it doesn’t have to be your only path.
I worked in the restaurant industry for 20 years, then met my husband, got married, and wanted to be on the same schedule as him so I changed my career to working for a large surgical center. I was out of my comfort zone; it was the only thing I knew how to do but wanted something different. I worked for 3 years there and loved it. My husband and I decided to semi-retire, he worked at the phosphate mines at the same company for 25 years, and he wanted a change like I did with the restaurant. We sold our home and bought land in Alabama, not knowing anything about the area. We didn’t “buy the farm” we Made a farm! We were pretty much city folk transitioning into country folk, and it was the best decision.
Soon after moving here, I filled out an application to work as a secretary for a radio station. During my first week there they asked if I wanted to work on the radio…Ummm what? I knew nothing about the radio industry but just like learning to work at a surgical center, I dove in and was a DJ with my own shows for 5 years. Now I’m retired except working for lifestyle events, have a big farm with lots of animals.
How did I get here from where I started? I still travel the world, I’ve met so many celebrities, eaten great exotic foods, and learned about all the different forms of culture and art. I also spent last week putting up a fence through the woods, caught fish out of my pond to cook this week, and pulled many baby goats from moms when they are struggling to give birth and bottle feeding every 3 hrs day and night, storming or freezing. I am a simple humble easy-going person. I love laughing and being with people and love sitting on my back porch by myself looking at what I have built. I’m happy knowing I try new things, didn’t stay in one place, and am always learning. That’s why I was laughing because when I’m off working events like Naughty N’awlins in a week, I’ll be running all over making sure things are going smoothly and hanging with all my friends from all over and eating my favorite New Orleans cuisine, dancing half-naked with over 2,000 attendees to some great music. Then I’ll be back home checking fence, unloading hay, cleaning chicken poop from the coop, and wearing my water boots so I don’t get snake bit. I tell myself that I blend in no matter where I am, I dress up in heels and wine and dine, and I wear shorts and flip flops going mudding at the mudhole.
When I started adulting at 15 I never would have thought I’d be here where I am now and I’m grateful. It has been an awesome ride, and I’m still riding. Wish I could go back and tell my 15-year-old self, Girl…. you’re not going to believe this!
