10-20-30 Virus

I found this at Julie's blog, Thinking About.

She added 40, since she is now over 40; since I am over 60, I'll go that high. The idea is to identify what you were doing 10 etc. years ago.

Ten Years Ago - 1997 I was working for Catholic Community Service providing parenting skills coaching and training to families whose children were in foster care or at risk. Maya was new and life had a special meaning that it hadn't had before.

Twenty Years Ago - 1987 I was working in Stockton, just before I moved to Sacramento. In May Julie had said something that made me realize that I had made a major mistake in not making sure my kids knew their fathers, and I spent the summer working to correct that. Julie's father, who had misunderstood me when I told him she was his, was overjoyed to come and meet her. Richard's father, who had known all along, never did come through with more than a few letters and phone calls.

Thirty Years Ago - 1977 I was in Campbell, having moved back from Fairbanks in 1975. It was not a good year for us. I was director of education for a Montessori school system owned by a man who I'm pretty certain was bipolar. He dipped into the bank account all the time, so that on pay day everyone who distributed checks made sure their own was cashed (not deposited. Cashed.) before handing out the rest and who was always suggesting things like borrowing money from the Mafia (which caused me to picture shadowy figures knee capping teachers because the payments were overdue). Richard was suffering in a junior high from Hell, the neighbors were involved in high drama which they brought into our house on occasion. This is where I said, to the tall, strong, mean-as-spit wife beater as he tried to bring his fight into my living room, "I don't care who is married to whom. I pay the rent in this house, which makes it my roof. You need to get out, leaving your wife with me, because I have called the police."

Forty Years Ago - 1967 The kids and I were in Berkeley. I was finishing college, my life consisted of kids and school and learning and love. I've never been happier as an adult.

Fifty Years Ago - 1957 I was attending Hillsdale High School (the first of two) in San Mateo, California and my best friend was Kate. The next year I went to live with my great-aunt Julie, and met Jack and Michael and Jane and Robert. 1957, the only bright light was Kate. Things got really better in Modesto.

Sixty Years Ago - 1947 I was five years old. It was the last year that we lived in the trailer, moving from one place in California to the next. It was the last year of my father's life. It was the last year of unquestioned security.