Today's Blog is from Guest Writer- John Larimore.
Earlier today, as Carol and I were walking through the lobby from Newton's toward our apartment, we saw Jenny sitting with a couple we had not seen before. Jenny introduced us to Chuck and Doreen, a couple who will be moving to THD in two months and were in the process of signing their lease. They were a delightful couple, and they are excited at the prospect of moving here. Chuck shared with us that the chief reason for joining THD was to become part of a community.
This clearly represents a new beginning for Chuck and Doreen and meeting them led me to reflect on some "new beginnings in my own life as well as the thoughts and emotions that accompanied them.
Here are some examples that many of us may relate to:
1) My First Day of Kindergarten--I felt scared and sort of in a fog, disoriented. I had never even seen the school before, and I knew no one there. It was a special school for children with cerebral palsy, and I was transported there by taxicab from my home in Berkeley. Out of my miasma of confusion, bewilderment, and disorientation appeared the teacher, Mrs. Mofeldt, who said, "I'm Mrs. Mofeldt". Those words of introduction eased my mind. The sense of lostness left me, I enjoyed the rest of the day. I got to know the kids, and the school, and spent 3 happy years there.
Postscript: When I was 35 years old, my twin brother Stephen and I were having lunch in a Chinese restaurant in Berkeley. An older lady came into the restaurant, walked up to me and said, "hi John!". I said hello back to her but I had absolutely no idea who she was. She then said, "I'm Mrs. Mofeldt!" I was shocked that she recognized me after 30 years. I guess I hadn't changed that much!
2) My First Move to a New Home--It happened on my first day of school, when I was 6 years old and going into first grade. On this occasion, too, I felt disoriented and bewildered. In addition, I felt shocked and incredulous. Here's what happened: I left my familiar home for school by taxi, as usual, with the same driver as always. Everything seemed normal enough, except that my brother and I had stayed an extra day at our grandma's home in San Francisco, which, I remember thinking, seemed odd to me because we typically stayed with her two days instead of three. Anyway, I didn't attach much significance to the extra-long stay when I left for school.
I have no particular memory of the school day itself. I was picked up, as usual by my taxi driver, whom I knew well from my kindergarten year, and proceeded on the ride home. Everything seemed fine to me until, when driving down the street where my house was, the driver didn't stop to let me out, but instead kept going. I was terrified! I asked him why we didn't stop at my house. His exact words were, "you don't live here anymore." Numb with shock and disbelief, I was driven to another house about five blocks away, where the driver let me out. I walked up the steps and into the house. I found my mom and a friend of hers in the kitchen talking, and I burst into tears. Mom seemed stunned by my reaction. She explained that we had moved and that this was our new home.
I recalled then that we had visited the house as a family two months previously, but at that time I didn't have any idea why. I didn't ask and my parents didn't tell me. When the news of our move sank in, I realized why my brother and I had stayed an extra day at our grandma's place--Mom and Dad needed three days without us kids to prepare for the move.
Once the shock wore off and I got used to our new home, I loved it. I lived there with my parents until I was 23 years old and in my first year of law school.
3) My first day on the job--In an article I wrote a number of weeks ago, entitled "You Just Never Know", I described how, through some completely unexpected events, I got a job with the Regional Public Affairs Office of Social Security in Richmond, California. I loved that job and had it for 16 years, prior to my retirement in 2012. Some of you may recall that part of the article. What I didn't mention was how my tenure there began.
My first day was Monday, April 4th, 1995. The crux of my work was to answer phone calls and respond to correspondence from Social Security claimants, beneficiaries, and congressional offices regarding whatever issue the caller or writer might raise pertaining to Social Security programs, benefits, and policies. At the time I started my job, the disability program was the only one I was familiar with, based on my previous federal employment. When the phone rang at my desk that early April day, I panicked, frantically calling out to the co-worker Philip, who was sitting next to me, "What do I do?" He calmly replied, "Answer the phone." Hiding my fear as best I could, I did so. I remember that the caller asked about an overpayment notice he had received. I had no idea what to tell the person because I knew nothing about that subject. I responded honestly by saying that I didn't know the answer but would find out and relay the information as soon as possible. The caller seemed satisfied.
What I glean from these recollections of new beginnings in my life is that, as scary and disorienting as they were, I could and would grow and prosper through the experiences if I hung in there, learned as I went, and trusted that things would work out.
💚We all might find it illuminating to reflect upon our own new beginnings.
💚My Response: Yes, Indeed!
Meanwhile here's my Photo of the Day -my own life memories in one of my books along with my son's first novel, Cloyne Court available at Amazons'.
My Own Childhood Memories:
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