YOU Matter
Reading books strikes up the 'writer' in me.
I like to believe I can write, I love to believe I'm creative.
Reading my current book '8 reasons your life matters' -John Maxwell right now, I'm on the 5th reason. And it brought back some memories I'd care to share. Maybe you could relate.
Being picked last.
I'm going to take you back to my upbringing. And I'll wrap it all back into that simple sentence of 'Being picked last'.
I grew up in Southern California. I was born in Oklahoma City, and quickly uprooted back to where my family originated in Indio, Calif. From here, we lived in an apartment for a good few years I recall.
This is where I would hop the fence, go to the motel 8 just to get ice, because... well because we could.
After here, we were homeless. I recall a good portion living out of the car. There were 3 of us. Mom, Heath and I. Heath was 4 years older than I.
I don't know why... because after a month or so, we didn't have a car anymore so we were at my great grandma's in Indio, and then we'd pick up and go to the next block to my grandmothers. I think back, it depended on if my mom and her mom (my grandmother) were fighting, where we were staying. I do remember I was very glad to have a bathroom that wasn't at a gas station. I took many showers in truck stops.
Then, we got a house. A REAL house. (I remember mom saying the housing was finally approved) I was 11. It was in Thousand Palms. I was in 5th grade. I had my VERY own room. My mom had a boyfriend, whom I really liked. He was a butcher at the grocery store. And ironically enough, he was from Oklahoma.
The bus.
Mom and my new step Dad (as of July 1994) bought a school bus. It would be Cool they said...
Mike gutted out the bus of the seats, and created an 'RV'. At this time we moved out of the 3 bedroom first home I ever had (or recall having) into a one bedroom in Sky Valley at the end of a long road where I walked 1.5 miles to the bus stop each morning, and back in the afternoon.
While Mike fixed the bus.
Heath lived in it after the back of the "RV" had a bed... meanwhile my 'bedroom' was behind a 'curtain' in the home, the same 'curtain' that you used to throw on the floor to paint walls with. (Paint cloths.)
I got a trampoline for my 13th birthday in Sky Valley. My friend Stephanie and I lived on it all summer. The water hose went under it by day, and by night fall sleeping bags went on top.
I'd like to believe I was a very 'go with the flow' kinda kid.
I finished Middle school in Desert Hot Springs. I rode the City bus from DHS all the way to Indio some days to my mothers work... (it was a 1 hr and 45 min ride).
We moved from that one bedroom somewhere in between Feb and June the year of 97. But the bus didn't have plumbing yet, so we had a 5 gallon bucket, and we'd have to wash it out after use of course.
I recall taking showers in the chicken coup. I slept in a tent because mom said it was like 'camping'.
I finished Middle School in 1997. Heath graduated from Cathedral City HS that same year. And that same summer, we moved IN the bus to Oklahoma.
I moved to Shawnee, Okla. Began school at Dale. This was a K-12 school. Everyone knew EVERYONE. And NO one cared for this girl, and it was so far from the story my mother told me would happen ("They'll think you're a movie star and you'll be popular!" Bec I'm from California) Ha. I still chuckle at that thought.
Which brings me full circle. Being picked last.
I've never been the 'cool' kid. Ever.
And for all my life, I was really okay with that. I really made the best out of most situations. I just gave you a very fast overview of my childhood. I have awesome stories that go in the middle of all those years. But this is already a longer blog than I expected to write this first day of the year.
But it was 9th grade until 11th that I hated my life. I literally didn't want anything to do with living in this 'Great State of Oklahoma'.
I wanted to go home.
My few years at Dale weren't fun. Again, I tried to make the most. I had some good girlfriends. I even had my first 'real love' boyfriend.
We had gym. Dodgeball, picked last. Basketball, picked last. Cheer, I never made the squad.
Some kind of peer group, I wasn't the 'in crowd' and wasn't selected.
I will say in advance, because I know there are several I am facebook friends with to this day, that will probably read this blog... and know that this is the inside view of myself.
Most everyone from Dale made an impact on my life, whether negative or positive.
One thing is absolutely for sure though, I had to go through Dale, to become me today.
Dale is my 5th reason my life matters.
Being picked last is my 5th reason.
Being poor growing up, that's the 4th.
Put your hand over your heart. You feel that?
It's called Purpose.
No matter your past, how many times you were picked last, how long you lived in a car, or had no telephone/TV or indoor plumbing, you are HERE right now on purpose.
You are designed to be GREAT.
So do something with that, and be Second. Never first, but absolutely NEVER last.
I read this recently, and if there is ANYTHING you take from reading this, take this.
You Can't take money with you when you die- bottom line.
You can't take your tax bracket, your social status, or your elite standing with you when your time on earth has expired. But the impact and influence you have made on other people's lives is an investment that will last forever--
Happy New Year!
I like to believe I can write, I love to believe I'm creative.
Reading my current book '8 reasons your life matters' -John Maxwell right now, I'm on the 5th reason. And it brought back some memories I'd care to share. Maybe you could relate.
Being picked last.
I'm going to take you back to my upbringing. And I'll wrap it all back into that simple sentence of 'Being picked last'.
I grew up in Southern California. I was born in Oklahoma City, and quickly uprooted back to where my family originated in Indio, Calif. From here, we lived in an apartment for a good few years I recall.
This is where I would hop the fence, go to the motel 8 just to get ice, because... well because we could.
After here, we were homeless. I recall a good portion living out of the car. There were 3 of us. Mom, Heath and I. Heath was 4 years older than I.
I don't know why... because after a month or so, we didn't have a car anymore so we were at my great grandma's in Indio, and then we'd pick up and go to the next block to my grandmothers. I think back, it depended on if my mom and her mom (my grandmother) were fighting, where we were staying. I do remember I was very glad to have a bathroom that wasn't at a gas station. I took many showers in truck stops.
Then, we got a house. A REAL house. (I remember mom saying the housing was finally approved) I was 11. It was in Thousand Palms. I was in 5th grade. I had my VERY own room. My mom had a boyfriend, whom I really liked. He was a butcher at the grocery store. And ironically enough, he was from Oklahoma.
The bus.
Mom and my new step Dad (as of July 1994) bought a school bus. It would be Cool they said...
Mike gutted out the bus of the seats, and created an 'RV'. At this time we moved out of the 3 bedroom first home I ever had (or recall having) into a one bedroom in Sky Valley at the end of a long road where I walked 1.5 miles to the bus stop each morning, and back in the afternoon.
While Mike fixed the bus.
Heath lived in it after the back of the "RV" had a bed... meanwhile my 'bedroom' was behind a 'curtain' in the home, the same 'curtain' that you used to throw on the floor to paint walls with. (Paint cloths.)
I got a trampoline for my 13th birthday in Sky Valley. My friend Stephanie and I lived on it all summer. The water hose went under it by day, and by night fall sleeping bags went on top.
I'd like to believe I was a very 'go with the flow' kinda kid.
I finished Middle school in Desert Hot Springs. I rode the City bus from DHS all the way to Indio some days to my mothers work... (it was a 1 hr and 45 min ride).
We moved from that one bedroom somewhere in between Feb and June the year of 97. But the bus didn't have plumbing yet, so we had a 5 gallon bucket, and we'd have to wash it out after use of course.
I recall taking showers in the chicken coup. I slept in a tent because mom said it was like 'camping'.
I finished Middle School in 1997. Heath graduated from Cathedral City HS that same year. And that same summer, we moved IN the bus to Oklahoma.
I moved to Shawnee, Okla. Began school at Dale. This was a K-12 school. Everyone knew EVERYONE. And NO one cared for this girl, and it was so far from the story my mother told me would happen ("They'll think you're a movie star and you'll be popular!" Bec I'm from California) Ha. I still chuckle at that thought.
Which brings me full circle. Being picked last.
I've never been the 'cool' kid. Ever.
And for all my life, I was really okay with that. I really made the best out of most situations. I just gave you a very fast overview of my childhood. I have awesome stories that go in the middle of all those years. But this is already a longer blog than I expected to write this first day of the year.
But it was 9th grade until 11th that I hated my life. I literally didn't want anything to do with living in this 'Great State of Oklahoma'.
I wanted to go home.
My few years at Dale weren't fun. Again, I tried to make the most. I had some good girlfriends. I even had my first 'real love' boyfriend.
We had gym. Dodgeball, picked last. Basketball, picked last. Cheer, I never made the squad.
Some kind of peer group, I wasn't the 'in crowd' and wasn't selected.
I will say in advance, because I know there are several I am facebook friends with to this day, that will probably read this blog... and know that this is the inside view of myself.
Most everyone from Dale made an impact on my life, whether negative or positive.
One thing is absolutely for sure though, I had to go through Dale, to become me today.
Dale is my 5th reason my life matters.
Being picked last is my 5th reason.
Being poor growing up, that's the 4th.
Put your hand over your heart. You feel that?
It's called Purpose.
No matter your past, how many times you were picked last, how long you lived in a car, or had no telephone/TV or indoor plumbing, you are HERE right now on purpose.
You are designed to be GREAT.
So do something with that, and be Second. Never first, but absolutely NEVER last.
I read this recently, and if there is ANYTHING you take from reading this, take this.
You Can't take money with you when you die- bottom line.
You can't take your tax bracket, your social status, or your elite standing with you when your time on earth has expired. But the impact and influence you have made on other people's lives is an investment that will last forever--
Happy New Year!
