Above: My daughter Cassie and her family. Middle Above: My son Ben with his family. Left Above: Anais & myself.

Above: Jacie and myself. Above: Right: Jackson & Jo.

My Learning Struggle

I had trouble learning in school. I have a learning disability. My brain works so fast, and takes everything in at the same time, and so it's hard to filter out information that I don't need. It's hard to slow my brain down to pay attention to fine detail, until I force my brain to do so. For example: When I go to watch a K-State football game (go Cats!), I really struggle. I'm paying attention to the back of the t-shirt of the guy in front of me, and what is says, and why did he pick that shirt, and why it is not purple, but lavender, is that the new purple? Isn't he a bit warm in that choice of shirts? He's going to sweat to death. Is that his wife or girlfriend? Oh, I don't think they know each other. Is that Willie? Oh, the cheerleaders. How many are there? Are they missing a few? I hope they move around the corner because I have to watch each move they make. Oh they're talking to Willie. That's funny. Oh! There's Bill Snyder. He's the nicest guy ever. I wonder how he's feeling today...and on and on and on. After I have spent a good hour analyzing all of the sights and sounds around me, my brain will finally watch the game. It's exhausting. I've developed tools for helping myself, but it is a struggle. 

I've been there; I know what it's like to struggle, but thankfully, I've had people in my life that believed in me. I also had people that didn't. Perhaps that's what makes me a valuable teacher. I know what it's like to feel like the dumbest person in the room. When I was growing up there was no terminology for a learning disability. There were no programs; no one had a label for it. I'm now able to help others that struggle. I don't judge when someone doesn't understand.

Top Left: My husband and I at Niagara Falls. Middle: A former theatre student. Right: Jackson & Jo & I on a hike.

Above Left: My friends and I at Galveston Beach. Above Right: My family when I was 2 years old.

Left: Bruce and I in Alaska.            Center: Darla (best friend) and I in Cayman.       Right: Indoor skydiving on my 54th birthday.

Left: Performing is a wonderful hobby that I love.  Center: My love of the Columbian Theatre goes way back.  Right: Me in "Hoo Haw". We've completed nineteen years of shows and I've been involved in every one of them.