Welcome... to me.

Thanks so much for reading my blog! I'll start my blogging "career" by telling you about me. Many people over the years suggested I "write a book" about my life. I think they were just being kind, but I'm doing it now so grab some caffeine and stay with me.

Growing up, my family was very poor- like the kind of poor you read about but think it couldn't possibly exist in the late 20th century. We didn't have a phone until I was 13 (that was 1984) and many nights there was no food for dinner. Mama and Daddy often got cutoff notices on our electric bill, water bill, etc- but with Daddy's 5th grade education, there weren't a lot of higher paying jobs available. Mama didn't drive or work. She dropped out of school in 9th grade and when she married Daddy she became a housewife- which apparently translated to never leaving the house while being a wife.

When Mama did go out in public, it was to church. The entire maternal side of the family were (and are) members of the Church of Christ. No, not the Congregational Church and not the Church of Christ, Scientists. This is the Church of Christ, southern version- my grandmother founded the congregation in her front yard (but couldn't lead services because women weren't allowed to be in charge) and then the congregation moved to a building down the road. The C of C has a very strict interpretation of the Bible- there's no instrumental music because God didn't specify instruments; God said "make a joyful noise... with your hearts" which apparently means voices but not pianos. We observed the Lord's Supper every week, Christmas wasn't celebrated as Christ's birthday (because the Bible didn't say he was born on 12/15) and there was NO questioning that the Church of Christ was and is the ONE TRUE CHURCH. That's where my wheels came off the wagon...

I went to work when I was 12 years old because I needed to buy clothes for myself and sometimes, food. I worked my way through high school and college- sometimes two jobs- until I finally graduated and found a job in my chosen field of television news. I still worked 2 jobs because, contrary to popular belief, only Katie Couric is making millions in tv.

After a few years of some really fun assignments and some really crappy apartments, I landed in Macon, Georgia. There I met Prince Charming. I saw Steven for the first time on the day I interviewed for my job and I knew I was in trouble. I chased him for a year before we finally started dating, we got engaged 4 months later and married in April 2000.

Now, I live a thousand miles from Georgia and light years away from how I grew up. But I learned some valuable lessons from being a poor, white, unpopular, fundamentalist Christian girl: The only victims in this world are children and animals. If you want something, work hard for it or you don't deserve it. Your education never ends and what's in your mind belongs to you alone- no one can repossess it.

And the most important thing I've learned: Growing up with nothing, I wanted SO much. Now, I could have anything I want, but I realize that I'm completely satisfied with being loved, safe and happy.

I'm just sayin'...