Lesson 3, Part 1: The Epiphany

I had an epiphany. I’ve had so many false epiphanies that it’s difficult to pick one. So, I guess I should pick my favorite mistake. I got married at the age of 19. Actually, I can’t say that this was wrong. It was completely right for me at the time, and it has made me who I am today. Without having had that experience, I would not feel the way that I do about everything in the world today. Let me back up a bit.

I was a star student in school. I was lucky enough to be in a grade school (K-6) that allowed it’s students (long, long ago and it was unheard of) to take up a text book, take the tests involved, do the work, and progress as the child wanted… so, by the time I got into middle school, they made special math and science classes for those of us in the “test group.” I won’t go into this at length. Suffice it to say we were challenged, and we met the challenge. However, once we got into high school, the “cookie cutter” effect brought out the worst in some of us, myself included.

So, here I was, a high school drop out with a 167 IQ. Yes, it happened. School bored me to no end. I got a full time job the day I turned 18 and I dropped out of school. I got married a year or so later. (in my own defense, I went back the next school year and finished because they let me take the one and only class I needed to graduate and still work my job… also… I now have an MBA, which really still burns my principal from back in the day….hehehe)

Here comes the epiphany. Well, when he asked me to marry him, I thought it was sincere. Maybe it was. I don’t know. I thought it was. Honestly, I think he thought it was, too. He was, chronologically, older than me… but, mentally, not even my age. Ah well. He still had oats to sow; I am not sure I even knew I had oats at the time. It doesn’t matter. It changed me, for sure. I’m sure it changed him, too, although he is gone now, so I will never know.