The Second Fifty - 1. The Second Fifty

The Second Fifty

In my First Fifty:

I survived two kinds of measles and mumps before those vaccines.

Bought candy from country stores in towns named Godahl and Bergen.

Went trick or treating and got apples and homemade popcorn balls and ate them.

We drove past a tornado racing right at us while listening to Silly Love Songs on the radio.

Walked miles and miles, up and down, row upon row of soybeans, weeding them by hand.

Went to camp and had my first crush.

Won an award for music and for speech and cried tears of joy.

Had my first real kiss.

Ran away from college.

Moved to Florida and started a new life.

Became keyless for a time and lived through heartbreak.

Survived a plague, though I bear the scars in my heart.

Started over in the Twin Cities and got to know little angels named AJ, Summer, and in time Wyatt.

Grew and healed as I worked at a bar and restaurant called The Tower.

Remodeled a kitchen and built a deck with a wonderful man.

Ran back to school and began a new career.

Wrote stuff, faced my fears, stood up to the powers that be without faltering, and said my piece.

Finished a novel and with a brave face, exposed myself to the world.

Married my true love in our garden and happily wept as we recited how we felt.

Turned my First Fifty.

I hope my Second Fifty will be as amazing as the first. I have faith it will.