Flashback Friday

Breaking News: Just got word from friend K:
(in case you missed it yesterday)
"Praise be to God!!! The surgeon just called to let me know that no cancer was found in my lymph nodes and that it was most likely contained in the tissue that was removed. Thank you to everyone for all of the cards, prayers, and messages of support. I am really relieved and happy about the news! I knew that God would take care of everything and am glad that His will was for me to have a good outcome."

1990
At the tender age of twenty-four, I thought I had Life in the palm of my tiny hand. I had a steady job after college, my first apartment, and was engaged to a guy I'd met at one of my friend's wedding. But I'd compromised one too many times on my personal comfort level.

"If I Could Turn Back Time..."
I'd certainly go back and slap myself upside the head during this period. I had moved thirty minutes north of my job in order to be closer to my fiance. This not only added stress to my gas allowance, but surely you know by now how much I hate to drive in snow. So this is going to come as a shock: My first job? Driving a preschool 'bus' (it was a station wagon) for developmentally challenged kids.

I was also NOT a morning person. This job meant I had to be at work no later than 7:30am, since my route was one of the longer ones. While I was living in town, I would get to work around seven, drink a cup of hot chocolate and joke around with my boss before I headed out. But once I moved, I was distressed to learn that in order to get to work on time, I had better not leave my apartment any later than 6:29am. If I left before that time, I arrived at seven. Any later and I'd be pushing to make it by seven-thirty, because of the traffic patterns. Add bad weather to this mix, and I was soon tired of the drive every morning.

My mother called me soon after the holidays to ask about attending the Bridal Expo. With the stress of having to drive two hours each day to and from work, plus being out in the elements, plus dealing with stir-crazy kids ages eighteen months to five years, I was not a pleasant person to be around. My fiance wasn't thrilled with the fact I'd rather curl up with a good book instead of watching TV with him, and soon we were arguing non-stop. So when Mom called, planning a wedding was the last thing on my mind. I told her I didn't think there was going to be a wedding in September, and we'd go to it the following year.

But On The Plus Side...
I 'kidnapped' my sister one Saturday and we spent a good day holed up in my apartment, talking, listening to music, and I think even playing a shortened game of Trivial Pursuit. She was in her junior year of college, and about to embark on a semester trip to study in London, so this was my last weekend to see her before she left.