I joined Peace Corps knowing very little of what life or work would be like. Unlike some of my volunteer friends, I hadn’t dreamt of Peace Corps since I was little, and it was never part of some 10 year professional plan.

I imagine most of our lives are a series of awakenings. One of my big ones came during my later college days. By the time I entered my senior year at San Diego State I was a decent athlete and grades in school came easily. Actually, too easily. I spent much of my time at the beach when real students studied.

We all have times in our lives that we would describe as extraordinary moments. A day begins as normal and then suddenly something changes it. Today, I can barely tell this story without tears welling up in my eyes.

California is sometimes called the Granola State, the land of fruits, nuts, and flakes. I am from California, native-born. I guess I could just stop this chapter right now and you would understand why strange things gravitate to me.

I can’t remember how old I was. Maybe ten. It was a happy moment. His name was Pecky, my first and only parakeet. I played with him every day and loved that bird. But the day that will live in infamy was about to be played out. Like a giant locomotive rumbling into the station, the inevitable was approaching.

Another name for paradise is: Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin where I spent the last six days on holiday. My daughter, her family and I stayed at the home of her husband’s cousin Mike. He and his wife Nancy have lived in this wonderful home for decades. Mike cooks everything from soup to nuts as long as anyone is hungry.

Most young people don’t understand what they’re getting themselves into when they start thinking about starting a family. We have to have licenses for all sorts of things like, driving, teaching, hunting, fishing, doctor, and dentistry. When it comes to driving a car, you need to have 200 hours of driving school and you have be pass a written test in order to drive.

Unless and until you have experienced the act of being raped, you cannot possibly understand the magnitude of how it can affect the rest of a woman’s life.

Young people are not taught today about the importance of earning and spending money and most of the decisions they make are just not sound and can cause terrible problems.  It’s hard to stay in love when your pay check is spent before you receive it.

Our kitchen was about twenty-five foot square and our large table was right in the middle, and my parents, Sister’s Petty and Mary and my Brother Bobby, met together every night for dinner at six o’clock sharp. Coming through the kitchen door, saying “Hi Mom,” and throwing your shoes and jacket on the hall tree was the order of the …