The Thompson Trials and Travels

Thirty four years ago today, at exactly 10:31 p.m., something came into my life that changed me in a way I could not begin to imagine. He arrived weighing 10 lbs. 2 ounces and was 23 1/2" long. No, I didn't adopt a six week old child...he was my newborn son. Today he is 200 lbs and 6' 6" 'long' and if it's even possible I love him more now than I did the moment he was placed into my arms. His life's road wasn't all that easy; parent's divorcing when he was five...being forced to live with his grand parents for eight long years, moving into a house with a step-father that he didn't know, becoming involved with drugs and alcohol, attempting suicide more than once, losing the love of his life, failing courses in college. Yes...these are the bumps in the road that my son had to travel over in order to arrive at his destination. Did he become the President of the United States, no....his name isn't Obama. Did he become a doctor or a lawyer o...

Today was the first time in six weeks, since losing my job, that I actually shook the cobwebs out of my head and realized...it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. I have not been happy in over two years and quite honestly, I was miserable the last six months on my "new" job....seriously MISERABLE! As I have always told my children, if you don't love what you do...then find something that you do love. Fortunately, and I do mean fortunately, they pushed me out before it ate me alive and I am so grateful. As Thomas Jefferson said, after being asked why he didn't want the term 'President' put on his tombstone when they were preparing it after he fell ill, "that title doesn't define me, that was just a job...that's not who I was." Working at the "s" word didn't define me...that was just a job! I have finally realized that. What defines me is who I am...who I have touched, those I have taught and those who continue to...

It's been a month since I "resigned" from my job...actually it's been almost five weeks now that I think about it. I spent the first week, I'll have to admit, in complete and total shock. I worked a lot of years for that company. I mean come on...you start with a company when you're 29 and you're currently 54...do the math...it was a LONG time. The next two weeks saw a rotating door of guests...Zeke, Jason, Milt, Glenda....Milt, Zeke and Jason (again)...and an influx of phone calls from "headhunters" (which surprised me), and friends. Some sincerely concerned....some mostly curious. I stopped answering the phone after about 11 days of those obnoxious calls. My real friends know I only respond to messages on email, (seriously). You quickly find out who your friends are in situations like this! I played the "pity party" act long enough and decided it was time to get back to a life I didn't even know existed for me....the life of ...