Thank you

(I’ve not been a regular reader, jumped to this post from a different site, so I apologize if my post is not in the spirit and tenor of this blog and comments.)

–Mary

I found it interresting that your family had a business selling grain mills and food deydrators. My family owned a small flour mill in the late 90s, and we also sold a variety of kitchen appliances (grain mills, dehydrators, bread machines, etc) for extra income.

I don’t know if the secret is out but your looks come from your mothers!!!

and i do think that in some ways we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of our parents

I look forward to any other demonstrations you might do.

I have one last point of advice:

Do not let the idea that there was “someone else” who wrote your book. You have all the advice and the feedback this site has given you. You are no longer just JD, you are the accumulated knowledge of all the folks you’ve read and talked with and gotten feedback from. Folks need that sort of WISDOM.

Thank you.

As usual another great post – Thanks! I love learning about each other’s stories. Your Mom has shared of your family’s strong, persistent spirit and willingness to “do the work.” What was particularly moving in reading this is that she does not blame anyone or anything for her personal economy. This post is empowering to me.

Thanks again, JD, for sharing this story. Please also thank your Mom for me.

Jean

One interesting thing to me is that in comparing this story with my own grandmother’s, when I asked her to tell about her life, there is a major similarity: the story is about her husband’s career, mainly.

When you ask your mom about “her story”, her story is not about taking care of kids at home, how she had to face challenges to make your meals and buy your clothes on limited money, whatever her real personal story was. It is about your dad and the jobs he had. Your mom is a background player in the story, having the occasional child, until she gets a typing job and gets a paragraph to herself. She doesn’t consider the story of most of what she went through to be interesting. It was the same with my grandmother – “her story” was about my grandfather’s experience in the military and in his jobs after the military (even though she too had some secretarial jobs like your mom).

I find this to be a kind of fascinating reflection on women’s stories over time. For example, if someone asked me about my life story, I’d tell them about medical school, my career as a physician, my volunteer work. My actual story. It would never occur to me to describe my husband’s life further than how we met and getting married and those relevant points. We’ve come a long way…

I know this was not the point of your story, and it is an interesting story regardless, this was just what I reflected on while reading it. Thanks for sharing it.

As an Indian, educated in the US and currently residing in India, I am deeply influenced by the American never-say-die spirit and I am confident that the American economy will recover very soon. All the best!

Anyway, I learned a lot and I hope I can apply the good ones to my family.

Thanks!

I also thought it was cute that your Mom said he soloed and then got his instructor’s license. Makes it sound so simple. For anyone thinking about becoming a flight instructor – there are a few steps between:-) JD – have you ever been bitten by the flying bug?

I appreciate sharing your family’s story. So many people lead really fascinating lives, but all you ever hear is junk about people like Spears and Lohan.

Thanks for sharing, Neil

Next time I speak to my Mum, I’m going to ask her to give me a history lesson of her life.

Thanks to you and your mom for sharing this story. I like how your parents never gave up, no matter what challenge was thrown their way.