I'm naturally very curious. We are a very diverse group of people with much the same anguish. I'd like to know what we did in our former lives. I know Marsh is an MD. I am an RN. What did you do? bluedaze
"Computer person" in the admin building of Brown University, retired early in '97 and have done consulting and free-lancing, web design etc since then, while travelling a lot and spending July on Monhegan, ME.
Good heavens...I have no credentials. I play the fiddle, write fiction and blog, study just about everything from quantum physics to languages. I've installed hardwood floors, bathroom tile, rewired phones, bla bla bla... but I'm still not nearly as smart as I want to be. I've also helped the husband run his hardware store at times. I almost became an RN but realized that caregiving isn't a strong suit (a bit of irony there, eh?) So, mostly I raised 4 kids and invested wisely. Well, maybe not wisely, but fortunately. Now...I try to entertain the still-semi-functional AD husband and serve as nerve center and parent-of-record-and-advising for my 4 young adults. Meanwhile, I keep doing the things mentioned above. The only major change between my former and current lives is the full presence of my friend and partner.
Emily-I think you're awesome. Sounds like you're not afraid to tackle anything. I think a lot of us are becoming more self reliant than we ever dreamed.
I've had a dozen different jobs over the years. I sold insurance for 5 years, both life, health and property casualty. Loved it, but moved cross county and changed states and knew I wasn't safe going into strange houses in an area I didn't know, so I became an employment counselor in a placement agency. Loved that too, but the economy didn't work for me. I had loads of great jobs and no one to send to them. I decided if they wanted a secretary that badly, I'd go be one.
I worked for engineers and I worked for lawyers, and we moved cross country again and the law firms in California would not hire me, so I became an executive legal secretary. <grin> I moved into the mortgage industry as an executive secretary and then became an office manager complete with staff. Taught myself Access and ended up doing reporting, and programming on Access databases during my last years working.
You left out "researcher". Someone once asked you how you knew so much about all that government gobblygook that none of us can decipher, and you said you read and read and read and researched. In addition to being a homemaker, which we all know is a 24/7 job.
As for me, everyone knows my previous background. Education field from the beginning. Teacher, tutor, language therapist.
Nothing as smart as some of you.LOL Mostly dressmaking, had my own business in Ohio. I was in a dry cleaning and alterations business with another woman until I found out I was doing all the work and she wasn't putting the money in the register on my day off! Did some painting for a few years (pictures), reupholstered a 4 seater sofa and 2 chairs and some other items for a friend and family. Painted and wallpapered whatever house we were in.Now I take care of my DH, do machine embroidery for family and friends and make baptismal hankies for the babies in our church. For a while I wrote christian poetry but haven't done that for some time either.
Right now I am cleaning my sewing room out and getting rid of a bunch of stuff. Maybe when I am organized I will use some of the fabric stash I have and make myself some clothes. If I use it all I will be the best dressed in woman in the state of South Carolina, heck maybe in the whole USA.
Human Resources/Labor Relations Manager for a very large Telecommunications company. Many other positions through the years , but that's what I did the 10-15 years before I retired. Raised 3 children along the way.
Texannie-DH was in SHRM and was their person of the year. Got his award in Washington from Robert Reich. Barbara Bush was the keynote speaker. I have a beautiful crystal bowl which was his award. It is so valuable that they insisted on shipping it to our house rather than letting us hand carry. Oh-what a sad end
I always thought I'd like to have a business card that read, my name, Member: Human Race (in good standing, of course). Mostly I've worked in education, but couldn't be a Mom, wife, work and remain sane. I taught preschool, and worked as an aide in Special Education from time to time. The biggest family project we ever had was to build our own adobe house with our labor and cash from equity of a previous house. No house payments might have been the biggest achievement of my life!
Until our fourth child was in the second grade, I was a homemaker like Jane, including Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout Den Mother, Sunday School teacher, etc. (16 years) and wouldn't trade it for the world!
My first job was as a receptionist for a law firm in Houston (that lasted three months - until the senior partner who had been watching me offered me the position as his legal assistant); after 5 years a client, the owner of an oil company, offered me the job of manager and I took it; later was an insurance agent and registered representative for Prudential; then moved to Arkansas to take care of my mother when she was told she had lung cancer; after her recovery, I stayed here because I couldn't leave her alone and she didn't want to move to Houston, so my husband and I moved to Arkansas and I became an office manager of a law firm here; and now I am a paralegal for a health insurance company.
We have lived all over the U.S. and Germany, have visited 49 states and 10 countries until AD. The longest we stayed anywhere was 17 years in Houston before moving to Arkansas.
I taught school for 33 years---kindergarten and then special education---8th grade in a tough part of NYC and then 23 wonderful years in a district in NY with great coworkers and good administration. I planned to retire to Florida and have time to play golf, compete in agility with my dogs, and use them as therapy dogs in hospitals and schools. I guess they have their own therapy dog work right here at home.
I had my own business till diagnosis, since then have worked in medical offices and finacial institution in member services. I quit my job last yr to become full time caregiver.
I am currently a school speech therapist, working with kids from ages 4 to 14, many of them special needs. In another life, before AD, I was an exhibiting artist. I also had an art program for special needs children while I was living in Canada. (We are back in Arizona now)
I worked for and retired from a city in California as Personnel Director(Human Resources) many moons ago. As I have stated before one of my major concerns regarding my DH is the fact that I am many moons older and even though I have good health now...age does catch up with you. He has no one but me to take care of him. He is 61 and I am 74 (don't look it or feel it) and most people thinks he looks older then me. Besides AD he has black lung and a major heart problem. He has been evaluated every 3 months for the past year for a pace maker and just makes not needing one. by the skin of his teeth. The magic number is 35 (whatever that means) and when tested for the pace maker he is always 35.
Looking back, I've had a blessed life. Started out as a medical social worker, relocated to then West Berlin, was a marketing rep for Air Berlin, got to travel for free, taught English 101, Temple University, to spies (Berlin was the spy capital) I had minored in English & that was the best they could do, then I started an export business, which was extremely successful. I traveled all over Europe on busisness. Returned to the States after Chernobyl, because you couldn't eat anything fresh & had to come inside when it rained. Moved to NJ & worked for a Japanese company in product development, gifts & decorative accessories. Returned to Richmond, VA, no product development jobs, so I ended up selling furniture. The furniture industry took a nose dive in this economy, so now I am trying to restart my life at age 58. I have had some adventures!
I own a Bridge Painting buisness in Wisconsin for 20 years,, ( my son now runs the buisness ) I somewhat started to retire in about 01-02 which worked out cause we did get a few years of travel till Dee was diagnoised in 06 ,,, since then have pretty much done as we all do... We also spend our winters (used to be 6 mo. now down to 4 mo and next yr. 3 mo. ) in Florida but am trying to spend more time with family..... Prior to the Bridge painting buisness I pretty much was in the clothing related field ... from store management to reping a number of clothing lines around the midwest... I,m a perfect example of how wonderfull this free enterprise system of ours is... Nowhere in this world can an uneducated Guy be succesfull with nothing more then desire then we can in this country,,, God has blessed Americans...... Dee had a very nice job with an accounting firm here in Green Bay... She was very active in the managment of the buisness, was the office manager , did the hiring of the non professionals , did the internal accounting for the firm,payroll etc...... So this crap we all hear about your more suseptible to getting AD if you don;t keep your mind active is BULL...... We were fortunate in those few years we did get to travel, ( and getting the taste has made me miss it even more now ) We traveled together a lot ,,we did a month long trip to Italy and a 16 day crossing of the Atlantic on a cruise ship with stops in Spain and Portugal,, traveled from coast to coast in our motor home......Dee was great about also letting me adventure on my own... I got the opportunity to ride my motorcycle from Wisconsin to Alaska and back on a month long trip with 3 other guys and also a number of trips to central Mexico and down into the Copper canyon.... My long term adventure goal was to tide my bike from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina.. I made it as far as central Mexico when Dee was DX and at that time I was so depressed for a year or so that I thru in the towel on my goal... but have since made it my goal again to get it done,,, I just turned 60 in May so God willing and good health I will get it done AFTER our current adventure... There WILL be a time when I stand on the Shores of Terra Del Fuego Argentina looking to the south pole with tears in my eyes and be ever so thankfull to the one who always gave me the desire and encouragement to acheive my goals
adding to my previous entry, i forgot i taught english as a foreign language to 5th-6th graders while i was living in mex during 2nd marriage for 17yrs. also during that time taught english thru braille to blind children as well. that was an experience! and gave me a super respect for anyone who teaches esp younger kids! i guess that would be considered my 'charity' work and good deeds. divvi
Jane 'fessed up in another thread: "I said Homemaker, I feel that has been the biggest and most important of all jobs. I was however a Senior Medicare Specialist in a large hospital."
I love where this thread is going. It started out as just curiosity on my part but it is turning out to be a time for soul searching and to find out how really great we are. We do things in small stages but the whole picture is awsesome. Thankyou for sharing. bluedaze
Me, I'm a scientist. (Bet this comes as a major surprise to y'all, huh.)
Like most scientists, I'm a kid in a toy store ... anything new fascinates me, and I want to play with it. So the projects that interest me most are those that involve integrating several different technologies. Most recently, I was developing new tools that could be used to discover new drugs.
To have some degree of control over the sorts of research that I do, I have worked for companies that do "contract research" (including, for the past fifteen years, my own company), writing proposals to Government agencies about projects I'd like to do, and then managing the resulting contracts. Abrupt changes in Government funding priorities can really mess up my plans, though!
So right now, I'm on the prowl looking for my next new toy.
I am amazed and awed by the degrees of proficiency and achievement I have read about in this thread...and also how much each individual accomplished in their young years. My resume is rather mediocre; I married young so didn't get to finish my education until age 35 after having 5 children by the time I was 27 and moving every 18 months with my husband who was in the Air force. I went to school steadily until I earned a Master's Degree in Education and Speech Pathology. I was employed by a special school district until I retired in '93. I did get a speech articulation program published which is still in use in my school district. i would love to be able to just sit and listen to you all describe your adventures and your accomplishments. our group represents many different avenues of expertise . No wonder we get such excellent advice and comments.
I was also a homemaker and helped my DH with our family business. Since AD, I've taken over the business and run it solo. It's a food brokerage business and fortunately I can work from our home office. Sales was never my thing but I'm doing ok with it. We're fortunate to still have an income.
I just LOVE carewife's definition of "mediocre" ... going back to school after raising a large family and earning a Masters, starting a new career, developing a special program that is still used. Yes indeedy, very mediocre. Sheesh
I so admire you all! We have all lived long enough to have two or three or more successful careers and still have time for one or two more! Dan, when you do take that trip to Argentina, you will have to send pictures to Joan to share with us!
Sunshyne, thank you for my laugh of the morning! I needed it!