Dr. Phil calls them "defining moments."
I know you know what they are. Those moments or experiences that you have that impact you. Shape you, for good or bad. You know, something like what were you doing when you heard about the Space Shuttle Challenger blowing up (I was curling my hair getting ready for school) or what you were doing when 9-11 happened (we were sleeping).
Calendar dates have always led my brain to the "moments" place. The Girl recently said I should be a socialogist because I always like to have the backstory of something. It helps me process it and understand it or a person more fully. It is true. And for some reason, time has been attached to those socialogical moments.
So, without further adeu, here are my 8 defining Missouri moments (in no particular order)
1. Spring 2005--Mr. Fun buys me my first real DSLR camera. This is one of the first pictures I took with it for artistic purposes:
Here is the latest picture I took (Sunday morning)
I don't know if I would have started taking photographs for arty reasons or just for fun if I had not been given a good camera. I would have not had the idea to buy one for myself. I also think that if I had not met some photo buddies, that it would have never occurred to me to go out on photo field trips. It has been the most rewarding "just for fun" thing I have enjoyed. I will do it until I can no longer hold a camera or see through the viewfinder. I can't help it. I am addicted.
2. Fall 2004: long wintery time. Enough said about that.
3. September 2008: Meeting the hormone specialist that diagnosed my Catamenial Epilepsy. His words "I have seen this and know what this is" brought tears to my seizurey eyes. :)
4. October 2005: My parents moved to Missouri. I had not lived by my family my entire adult life until my folks moved to Missouri. It has been wonderful. To see them for Sunday dinners, to have our friends join us in Popper Holler, to build a strong steady friendship with them, and to see the children bond and grow closer to them has been so rewarding. I know they should not be on the "We Love Missouri" marketing team, but I am soo glad they have come to be with us. They is why they came. To grow closer to us. Mission accomplished.
5. August 2007: The Boy gets sick. I don't know if he would have gotten sick living in Utah. I don't know the wise purpose of why he is laying sick on the floor at this very moment or what he will gain from this particular life experience, but I am grateful that we live 20 miles from one of the top peds hospitals in the country.
6. January 2008: Mr. Fun has malignant melanoma--skin cancer. I was standing in the kitchen, in my black Quizno Sub apron, mixing up some burritos. Mr. Fun walks up to me, right before my face and calmly says "I have cancer." It was caught early-- the absolute best way to have cancer. "Caught it early" is music to a family's ears.
7.Speaking of cancer, you know what is coming next.
October 2006: Read all about it here....
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I could write a book about the journey of terminal cancer, from the outsiders point of view,
but I know I do not have the skills to do it. This journey is hard.
8. Last but not least, April 2003: I joined Rotary International--The North Kansas City Club.
Rotary's been impacting me since I was 17 years old. Just tonight I am going to a Humanitarian Awards Reception, co-sponsored by Rotary and United Nations.
I was working in our church library as the librarian when a fella named Tim came in for some supplies. He was wearing a Rotary pin on his church jacket. "You know Rotary?" I said to him. "You know about Rotary?" he said to me....the rest they say is history. Tim hosted me at his NKC club meetings, and I was hooked. Love me some Rotary.
So there it is. A little time capsule of my Missouri Moments.
