A Meaningful Life, Part 2, Small town girl

“My interest in psychology dates back prior to my college studies. I had an interest in the pursuit of people that surfaced during my high school years where thoughts of my U.S. Government class come to mind. I recall my teacher Mr. Millis’ weekly Current Events Challenge. I looked forward to it all week long. I honed my current event “skills” by always being the first to recount the correct answer to, “Who is our Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court?” I always knew it was William Berger. I don’t know why no one else in my class remembered it but I did. And it wasn’t just having that one answer that allowed me to thrive with current events as I often had the first answer because I was so curious about “popular” people in society so I kept up with what was happening with them.

My interest in people also extended to how I observed and noticed those around me every day whether while I was walking home from school, standing in line at the grocery store or sitting in the park. I always thought everyone looked so “normal” and that I wanted to be just like those that I saw. And “popular” people in our society, well didn’t everyone want to be like them somehow?

With my early perspectives, I also pondered such thoughts as the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Although seemingly seated at opposite ends of the spectrum, hate can be as strong an emotion as love while indifference, well, that is nothing, unimportant and not cared for at all; indifference is the true opposite emotion of love I concluded. And I personally experienced that emotional spectrum of love, hate and indifference at an early age. That’s why I wanted to be “normal” like people I saw in my rural community. It turns out what was normal about me then is that I enjoyed and survived what my life provided me just like those popular current events personas that I followed."

Tomorrow: Part 3, Who I am