While visiting my youngest, my oldest and I went to a thrift store to look around. Of course I was drawn to the movies and books, What I didn't see was the other side of the shelf. So as my oldest was looking at the shelf I did not see, I walked up to her. She asked me about a book for her oldest. The book in question was Summer of My German Solider by Bette Greene. Oh, wow, that brought back some interesting memories. I loved that book !!! I read it in middle school and still remember that book. I told her I loved that book when I was younger and her oldest should like it as well.
The one book brought back a lot of fondness for some books I have read. You, see, being diagnosed with dyslexia was probably one of the best things to happen to me. I never could understand, why I was so bad at math and reading, English. I just remember being confused a lot. What was being taught, I didn't get it. When I was diagnosed, they started eye challenges that would help me see things correctly. Big difference. Once you realize what the numbers are you can understand why and how the equations make more since. If 8-5=3 You first need to see the numbers correctly before you can understand this. It was the same with reading. My world opened up.
In third grade, a teacher Mrs. White who I still think of fondly, read to us. One of my favorite was All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor. I remember that whole series. I loved it. I loved how the author made the Mom so very clever. Hiding buttons, using tea to dye a dress, making chores fun and games. I also remember Ramona and her family and stories where funny. I remember them and the Boing Boing curls. I loved it when she read to us. Then I entered the fourth grade.
In fourth and fifth grade, reading was not the same. It was more for class work but we had reading groups and work about what we read. This is were I excelled. You would think, that such a reader would have great spelling. This is not so. I loved reading, even tho it was in a reading group with a reading book. Not like that today, I can assure you. I loved reading and then answering the questions because I didn't feel so dumb then. You see, I was the girl with the glasses that didn't fit, clothes that didn't scream the recent fashion. It didn't help that I was shy and day dreaming all the time. When people say kids can be cruel the have not idea. Home was the kool aid house, but school was a different story.
In sixth grade, I had a great teacher, Mr. McConnill. Another of my favorite teachers. He is the one who introduced me to Job's Daughters. Thru him, I met two of friends that great. One who taught me about being Jewish. What she could or could not eat, what she could or could not do. Her friendship did last long because she moved. The other was Kim, who was Mr. McConnill's daughter. That friendship didn't last because we moved. That was the year, we went camping with the Job's Daughters. I really missed them and the Job's Daughters. Loved being a part of something that great. Still have the book and bethel number.
We moved to the beach the summer before the seventh grade. Life truly changed. I knew no body and where we lived was what seemed like the boondocks. So we start again. seventh grade is the start of middle school here. So I started middle school with no friends or people I knew. It was hard. Again I was the girl with the glasses and clothes that were not in style. It was not fun, and I learned to grow a tough skin and not care about what people said about me or how they thought they were better. My shyness did not help nor did those moment when I would drift off into my own little world. I did eventually make so great friends. I also started my great path to reading more.
Middle school I read, The Pinballs, Summer of My German Solider, The sequel Morning Is a Long Time Coming, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, along with it's sequel The Great Glass Elevator The Chronicles of Narnia, A Wrinkle in Time series and every Judy Blume book. These of course are only the ones I can remember reading. It was also at this point my dad was not thrilled with my reading or selection of reading material.
Sometime during middles school, there was not a lot of books to read in the summer. I can't tell you how many times I read Grease the book. I read what I could get my hands on. Some of them were of course Harlequin Romance books. They were not my favorite, but better then nothing or what was not on TV. My dad, refused to pay for cable when it came out thinking it was just a passing fade, who would pay to watch TV ?? He always had control of the TV unless it was Saturday morning and we snuck to watch cartoons. My brother was in control then, but it was OK most of the time. My dad's saying was "if you don't like what's on the TV find something else to do" trust me to be one who challenged this by reading. During the day, my mom made us go outside and stay outside, and again I would be reading. This was also about the time I got a walkman, I started working around 13 yrs old. I bought the walkman with my money and used the Columbia House to rack in some tapes, as well and the flea market rip offs. Needless to say, my family was not a family of readers and my parents were actually very strict.
In high school, my reading continued, both Library and literature or English. Here I read Shakespeare and loved it. I will say Romeo and Juliet is Not my favorite. I actually liked Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing. Read Where the Red Fern Grows, Nancy Drew, VC Andrews. These are the teachers I remember best. I do not remember all the book they assigned, I do remember them being great teachers. It was also at this time the Library was participating in the Young Adult Book Awards. I read the list every year and voted. I remember Goodnight Mr. Tom, but others I can not recall. I do want to find the list and see if it jogs my memory. This was also when I got a job my sophomore year, because my home life was so strict. I was not allowed out past 11 on weekends and only allowed to go out Friday nights,(which were takin up by the band) or Saturday. I was not allowed out on a school night, unless I was working. Interestingly enough I had a bed time and it was 9 o'clock. Yeah, that still doesn't sit well with me. To hear my dad tell it, I was skipping school and have rendezvous' with my boyfriend or other things just as bad. To this day, there is not convincing him otherwise. I am the black sheep. What I was doing, was during early dismissal and usually going to work. One day Senior Cut day, I was going to pick up my prom dress for the next day, and got into a wreck. No one was hurt thankfully, I don't recall how he found out, but my boyfriend at the time was there with me. Anyways, for a bookworm like me, I chose to work.
I worked all thru high school at Dairy Queen. Loved that job and the people I worked with. The understood so much. They knew how strict my parents were and helped when they could. One of my friends from that time actually took me to get my drivers license. My job allowed me my independence. I did my homework and reading there when it was not busy. I took care of all my high school needs on my own. From yearbooks, band, fieldtrips to senior supplies. It was not long after high school, I moved out. Did not end really great, but I was not perfect. That is a whole other blog. Then life happened.
It was not long after I moved out things did not go as planned, some good some bad. My dad still expected me to do things his way and only his way, never mind it was not his business. I will admit that I don't regret everything, and sometimes think about that timeframe and the marine I wanted to marry. How his life changed because of few things. I always wonder what happened to him. He was the most awesome boyfriend/fiancé there was, in my life. I have had boyfriends and they were great as well but they will never have my heart the way he did. I often wonder if things would have been different, if I would not have go down the path I did.*sigh* Life went on, good and bad, my reading was at an all time low. I was young, out having fun, doing the wild things young people do. My wild phase. Then I had kids.
Time for reading was at an all time low, as life kept moving forward, After the birth of my oldest, who was three month early, time flew like it usually does. I got married and settled down, got a house, car, job. As things settled I was able to read more. This started a reading period that I loved. I wrote down all I read as they were often re-released. I found Mary Higgins Clark, Nora Roberts, Amanda Quick, Phyllis Whitney, Leonard Goldberg, Tess Gerttisen, Iris Johanson, and many others. I was able to read so much on the job. I worked as a photographer at golf course. I worked at many different one since they were all a part of a big company. I didn't mind. In fact I loved that job as well, it also started my love for photography. If you have not been golfing or know what goes on, there is always a two wait as the golfers make the turn, meaning going from the last 9, to the next 9. Then another two hours to finish if everyone is playing at a good speed. So I was able to read a lot. This is when I read the original copy of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. It had just came out, new writer. I cried so hard at the end of that book, one of my all time favorites. Before it became what it is today. I even lent my book to my friend and told her to read it, it was so good. She never did until it became popular and asked if I had read it. Yeah. I bought another first edition and when he came here he signed it. I have the movie and several books signed by him. What makes me like him even more, he is a totally nice guy that is down to Earth.
I left to golf course for two reason, the money was getting worse and I didn't want to be out there in another cold winter. I became a substitute teacher, then teachers aid. Then surprise. I'm pregnant with number two. When school ended, I could not work anymore because of the issues with the oldest. So I decided to watch some kids for extra money. Made sure they had books to read as we had reading time, wanted to teach them to enjoy reading. This was great reading for me as well. Had my baby number two and kept reading, and read to her as well. Life was busy but good. Reading was a happy thing and my hall was lined up with books. I got divorced, met a new man, and woke up with a chronic illness.
At this point I was working at the roller rink with my sister. Not for the faint of heart. The job was good, I worked the kids. Summer camp and after school camp. I was able to bring the then baby to work and all was good, and along with my reading my photography was starting to do pretty well. I was going to shows and winning awards. I was published is many books. Hotel had picked my photography to sell at there hotel. Things were going good. Decided to open my own studio. Girls were happy and healthy. Life was going great. we would go on adventures to photograph. Then came the car accident. It was not a huge accident someone ran into me at a stop light. The light was and she didn't know to stop or at least that's what she said to the cop. Life is never straight, you have twists and turns. Life decided to throw me a couple of curve balls. I got divorced, not a bad thing, I was really angry a lot while married to him, and he was not happy and drinking all the time. My sister sold the business and I was working as a reservationist at a hotel, another job I liked. It was part time but then went full time. Full time meant insurance and benefits. It was after the accident, my health declined, but was talking to my now husband on the myspace chat room. First came the back surgery. I had a ruptured disk and it was very painful. I was lucky the doctor did not play around and actually did the surgery. Then I met in person the guy I was talking to on myspace. We then decided to extend his trip as he missed to plane. Not long after that, I started having weird episodes of dizziness and horrible horrible vertigo without moving. I was reconfirmed the diagnoses with Meniere's Disease. I wish this on no one, not even my worst enemy. I often had to call the bf to pick me up from work because to the attacks' of vertigo. As you can imagine, I lost my job. I can see their point in one way because it does make you look drunk or drugged out. As the disease got worse so did the treatment. Nothing was working. Then I found a great neurologist. He found not only a severe case of Meniere's, but Vestibular migraines they mimic Meniere's, BPPV, and nystagmus. My balance is not great. This then sent me to an Otolaryngologist. He gave me more hope then others, and by the time I got to him, it was apparent the damage was so bad I was deaf in one ear and HOH in the other. Not good, but after about 10 years of hell on earth I am now fully deaf and doing better. During this time I would be in the bed more often then not but not able to focus. So reading was not a good thing, and when I did try to read, I was get dizzy and have to stop.
Life again is better, it's not perfect and still has many flaws. I lost many, friends and some family during this time. I also lost my photography for awhile as well. Restarting your business twice is not easy but I am not stressing it. I like my macro photography, I may have to rearrange my photography being deaf. I can read again and do so a lot. Being deaf actually helps. I am fluent in ASL and very involved with my deaf community. I am now married to the guy I met, my girls are married and happy. I often think of my life in chapters, in a book, with no ending yet. Reading has always been a good thing and I often learn more then I expect.
I have/am building a library for my many books I have now, and can't wait to read. I also love the giveaways on Goodreads. My page if you want to check it out. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/100823654-teresa-pierce
Now, my quest is this, finding some of the books I read and liked in my younger days, the happy memories they brought me, and the place I went. So far I have found The Pinballs, Chronicles of Narnia, Summer of My German Solider(not the daughters copy), Goodnight Mr. Tom, and Send in the Clowns. Found Grease.
