I started working at 13, doing laundry and yard work(actual my little brother did the work, I supervised and did things like planting flowers, pulling weeds, etc. )
I graduated high school at 17...2.1 GPA
I was 18 when my dad, most likely after having too many after work, came home and told me to move out. I remember running upstairs crying, and mom lighting into him; she convinced him that I was working hard and going to college( and paying my own way) so he could let me stay until i was (1) married or (2) graduated. I earned my associate degree at 19, and by then was heavily into not staying home anymore, wanting to do what I wanted- smoke, drink, carry on all night, and yes--sleep next to someone. I moved out, which i wrote about elsewhere.
I was almost 23 when I finally graduated College...2.5 GPA
Those were OK times, although i was pretty poor. I went to UC, graduated, went to Germany via a study teach program- I taught at the American Forces School and took some studies in international relations at Heidelberg. I was a lousy teacher... but when I came back to the US, I was offered a job, and worked at Ft Bragg in NC for awhile. I had met someone, and we lived together, which after a year meant we were legally common law married at the time(I didn't know until later) So I was 25 when i got married (smart girl makes bad choice while living in N Carolina) We didn't last, my little voice saying it was a mistake.
The mistake became clear when I went during lunch and found a bunch of flowers on his desk, although the card (in Pat's writing) was to someone else...as was the candy. Then there was the look from the office staff, as the secretary whispered "I think that's his wife" and then one came over and hugged me and said she was sooooo sorry. WTF! I was 25 going on 26, I didn't know what was happening, what was right, so I went home.We had a blow out and he left, and my best friend from California had been visiting, so we decided i should go home. I went to the house, threw all my stuff in the car, drove to the airport and flew back to California. I parked the car in short term parking and left. Unfortunately, i got to keep the car, so i had to go back, pay the parking and then drove the car back to California with a good friend...that was interesting. (Think Thelma and Louise)
Work was easy to find, and I ended up getting into a training program for analysts, and spent my days coloring in bubbles on punch cards and changing tapes on these tape drives. That didn't last, giving that up to teach again,(and go to grad school) this time in a girls juvenile facility; that really didn't last, as having students saying they were going to stab you and mean it was not fun...sooo,
I went on my summer vacation and never came back( they say they fired me, but the union said different.) I broke up with my boyfriend, and moved home(again), finding a job driving a school bus. I quit grad school(bummer)...While doing this I also found my honey, who told me whatever I wanted to do would be fine...but there would be a commitment to each other, and to my newly acquired daughter( who loved me for about 2 years(12-14), and then hated me for the next 4(14-18), and now loves me again(20 years so far) Thus, I was 28 when i re-married, this time for good (knock on wood)
Worked my way up in the bus company from driver to charter bus driver, to dispatcher, to manager. I made my way to national company, and worked as a supervisor there, eventually realizing that I was moving up and going nowhere. i mean the guys i worked with were making triple as much as me. So at 40, I gave up being a operations manager and went work for the police as a dispatcher.
I did that for a couple of years, and transferred to other positions, eventually coming back to data analysis; apparently I am good at that, as I quickly went from just above poverty wages to reasonable. I found out I had completed enough courses to graduate from grad school when i quit, just neede to have a thesis, so i got re-enrolled, and finished.
I worked for the police, eventually changing agencies, and eventually becoming specialized in finding security holes in systems; I was recruited to be a system auditor, which i did for a couple of years. Last November i took a chance, and accepted a temp position that pays a lot better, and now work for a agency advising on improving system security policy and procedures as the project manager for that.
Next month i turn 54...amazing
Have a good week
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