"How does your life compare to the plans, dreams, and expectations you had ten, twenty years ago?"
That is how many responses PW has received as of this morning, to her post of nearly a month ago. 1000 is how many I have read so far. No, not all at once. Usually 100 at a time. You can't take in much more info than that. There are times I just have to stop. The Stories are as varied as we are...and as similar.
PW's people have poured their hearts out. Stories that are raw and honest. Stories of dreams lost - never getting married or having children. Stories of loss - death, divorce and dreams. Many have more than they ever expected. Lives they never would have pursued but while the opposite of what they thought they wanted, turned out to be exactly what they wanted.
Depending on your season of life, a lot can happen in a short period of time. I didn't respond to her question then but have been thinking about my own Story and this is what it looks like...
56 - ten years ago, I had lost my job of 25 years and quit a job of 5 months. I went home to start my retirement early. Two months after starting that retirement, I found out I was going to be a nana. I started a pregnancy journal for my girl - and document every doctor appointment, took photos and kept a running update on names and name changes. The journal ended when Keaton was born and went home. Then, I kept a photo journal of his first year through his first birthday party. I did the same for Gage and Morgan. I didn't know what being a nana would look like but I could never imagined it like this. Always with a camera close by, my life looks nothing like I could ever imagined.
56 - 20 years ago, Brandi was a junior in high school and I had a job that I was always trying to get away from. The only good thing about working is 8 hours of free toilet paper. I had a good job, I just hated working. Still do. I am happiest at home listening to the hum of the dishwasher. There was no joy in finding a $25,000 error in an inventory mistake by the accounting dept who didn't want to be questioned, least of all - by me. I couldn't see a way out. I had to stay until I was 55 to get my full retirement and that was a long way away.
So here I am. My retirement did start last year at a tenth of what I would have got had I stayed. I was the first one to leave in my department and the whole plant shut down around my 54th birthday which would really have made me mad. My plans didn't pan out but the life I have been given is so much more than I could ever have imagined.
I would encourage you to check out some or all of these Stories. It will make you reflect on yoru own life and maybe even, help. Isn't it a great thing that we only think we are in charge. That we think we are the boss of us. Life is full of ups and downs, not of us are exempt but what we do with what we are given, makes all the difference...
