What Led Me Here
There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
— William Stafford, “The Way It Is"
In 1979 I was hired as a clerk-typist at the University of Arizona at 17 years old. I could take six credit hours a semester for free as an employee. I intertwined work and school to care for myself and to start spinning a future. I married in 1988, and we moved to Albuquerque, NM. I majored in English and minored in Women’s Studies. Ten years after I started taking courses, I received my B.A. in 1989.
I’ve been writing since I could hold a jumbo pencil. I wrote many “Love is..” books in the ’60s sitting at my father’s desk and keeping a locked diary. I’ve amassed a library of books that delights me. I’ve followed the thread of writing as a journaler, letter writer, bookseller, writing facilitator, and aspiring memoir writer. Words and stories sustain me and bring me joy.
Inquiry satisfies my curiosity. I love knowing how and why people, nature, and all manner of things, are the way they are. From YouTube videos on how to thread a weed whacker to how to help my father live and die, I read and search for the answers to empower myself and commit to the next right action.
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​Born as a sensitive person and socially conditioned over-functioner, I’ve learned that caring and advocacy lights a flame for me. I’ve been a mentor, literacy volunteer, GED tutor, rape crisis phone advocate, and advocate for my father. As his caregiver for almost five years, I wanted to be present, laugh, and have as much fun as possible while helping him emotionally, spiritually, and physically. We left nothing unsaid. Despite the difficulty of the work and the anticipatory grief, I have no regret. I care about the people I love, those in my community near and far, the earth, and humanity.
From the cornfields to the desert, I have followed my threads as they have looped, meandered, and twisted through my life. I have finely woven them into the fabric of my life.
What are your threads?