ms_bhon

Hey, Rete- That's great news! Good on you... your story really is inspiring, you truly are a survivor...

An intro thread is actually a really good idea-
I'll post my story second-
I'm 37, was single my whole life until I met my husband when I was 34- almost 35. We met first online as pen pals and then met in person when I came to London to take a course in the winter of '99-00. We started dating and very quicky fell in love. After my course we travelled to Morocco on holiday and I returned to the States. We were long distance for about 10 months until we got engaged at Christmas of 2001. Sent off k-1 stuff in Jan of 2001, and we were married of June of 2001.
We both have many mutual interests, mainly among them travel, and between the two of us, have been to many countries. We haven't been able to do much in the way of travel the last year and half or so, but look forward to doing some more-together- in the future. Both of us had done much of our travel prior to meeting one another, solo.
I went to an arts High School and an Arts University and spent 13 years working on Television and motion picture productions in the set decorating and art depts. Now I work for a company that does seasonal displays in malls and public spaces. My husband Paul does IT.

We have a few snaps on our home page http://www.bethandpaul.com

Kelly Chan

What an amazing story. It's no wonder that you are able to help so many people. Thanks for all your advice!!

George Charpied

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Rete,

What does this mean?: '...was able to work with NOW on writing up a proposal
to change the laws regarding child suppport.' In what manner did you work
with NOW? What proposals were made to change the laws regarding child
support? Was this in New York?

George

Rete wrote:
    > In the current cigarette post, it was hinted that I was older than most non-smokers
    > who are a generation below me. Well guys and gals, I am about two generations or
    > more removed from you all.
    > I'm 54, birthday is in June. I graduated high school with a NYS regent's diploma
    > and secretarial degree and a member of the national honor society, red cross club,
    > and senior class secretary. I married at age 20 for the first time and became a
    > mother that year as well. By the age of 23 I had two lovely daughters and by the
    > age of 27 I was divorced and loving it. I was never on welfare and have worked as
    > a secretary (legal field) for over 36 years. At age 28, I went to college in teh
    > evenings full time and maintained a 3.25 index for my degree in business
    > management. I've also worked as many as three jobs a week, one full and two part,
    > to make ends meet. I lucked out on having good babysitters and parents close by.
    > I remarried at 50 with one very serious happy and beautiful love affair during the
    > time between. And no, that love was not my current husband, Jim.
    > I've traveled some (not as much as I would like to in Europe) and consider myself
    > well read and fairly well informed on current events. I love the oldies but
    > goodies and classical music but not opera. I love the theatre and ballet
    > I'm also a b.i.t.c.h. and opinionated but other than voicing that opinion, I don't
    > try to sway people to my way of thinking because I honestly believe everyone is
    > entitled to their opinions. I like to think I listen to reason when reason is given
    > but then that is my opinion ;-)
    > I am hearing impaired which in many ways has interfered with my social habits.
    > Hard to be around people who are so self-conscious that they prefer to whisper
    > rather than speak in a conversational tone of voice. (Try listening to the
    > volume many people speak in and you will see that people who are shy or
    > self-conscious will speak softly while those who are confident will speak at a
    > conversational level.)
    > I've had breast cancer at the age of 42 and obviously survived and helped start a
    > chatroom for cancer survivors in 1993. This chatroom ultimately led me to Jim
    > through my friendship with his sister-in-law and her sister, Jim's wife (they were
    > legally separated).
    > In my thirties I was a secretary for my town's local chapter of Parents Without
    > Partners and was able to work with NOW on writing up a proposal to change the laws
    > regarding child suppport.
    > Rete
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com
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