Comments on: At Sixteen

By: Donna

Donna — Sun, 25 May 2008 21:41:19 +0000

At sixteen I thought of the glamourous life outside of Des Moines IA. I thought for sure, I would be a great writer too, but unlike feminist, I wanted to go to Vegas and be a Playboy Bunny (the cocktail waitress). Well, as fate and luck would have it, they built a Playboy Club in Des Moines just as I turned 19. Lucky me, I got to audition and was one of the 100 girls picked to be a bunny! Still dream of writing the great novel, have one tucked in my desk finished and fabulous, but too scared to do anything. So maybe when the milestone birthday of 50 nears, I’ll submit and write off another dream come true!

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 25 May 2008 15:39:39 +0000

At sixteen I always wanted to get married and either have a bunch of kids or run an orphanage for unwanted kids. I wound up getting married 12 years later and opting to replace the orphanage with a home that would welcome stray dogs and cats, to whatever extent room and finances allowed. Animals will always be the objects of my deepest devotion for their simplicity and pureness of heart, so I have no regrets there. Fortunately my husband and I have always allowed each other the time and space to follow our respective passions (his is playing guitar and bands) so neither one feels as though their happiness, or contentment as Marcie aptly distinguishes, came at the expense of the other’s. It’s also the only way a social loner like myself and a gregarious people-person like my husband could adapt to marriage and not feel consumed by it.
Jane, I have to comment on that beautiful picture of you. It is so soothing to look and has such an ethereal quality to it. You just look serene, it’s hard to imagine that your life was filled with such pain and conflict. Still waters do run deep.

By: freida

freida — Sun, 25 May 2008 03:47:50 +0000

It’s almost Sunday!!!

By: Patty G.

Patty G. — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:52:25 +0000

At 16, I was a Junior in high school. I was so excited as I couldn’t wait to finally get the opportunity to take a “journalism”class. Since I wrote in silence for many years before, now I was finally in the class. It all came to an end when I came home from school to find my mother laying on her bed with a bottle of gin and my “Valium” on the night stand. (WOW, I just remembered I was on Valium way back then!)

My mother tried to commit suicide and was taken to the psychiatric ward at Bergen Pines. There I was totally alone as my brother was already in a juvenile detention center ordered by the court for all his wrongdoings.

This is when survivor mode took over my life. I had to go to work in order to keep a roof over my head, as well as for my mother when and if she returned.

I remember the day I went back to school and had to quit school in order to survive. The hardest part of it all was having to tell my journalism teacher. He told me not to do this, but with tears flowing I told him I had no choice, how would I live.

My life took another direction at 16, a direction of survival, protection and a fear of abandonment.

I never realized that I am who I am because of what happened to me at 16. Although I blamed a lot on my dysfunctional family with two parents who drank, my father who disowned us when I was 13, but it really was at 16 that carved the balance of my life.

I closed the door to age 16 many years ago, but it was Jane’s story that opened it and I am so thankful for that as I struggled for a long time wondering why I am who I am in life.

My road also turned at 16, Patty. We are who we are because of those years, I’m convinced. - Jane

By: kris_D

kris_D — Thu, 22 May 2008 05:08:11 +0000

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the
potter’s oven? -Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931)

UGH. there! i wasn’t going to be still until i found this dang quote!

i feel much better now. thanks.