Personal Responsibility

I grew up in a home with a passive Mother and a controlling Father. I didn't like my home life and I remember turning 18 when I was a senior in High School. I knew I was old enough to leave if I wanted to. I could have quit school and found a job to support myself at that time. I realize today, that my parents were a product of some hard times. I didn't blame them for the rest of my life but got out of there and with God's help made my own way. I turned 18 in January but did not graduate from High School until June almost 6 months later. I worked in some strawberry fields for a couple of weeks and saved up $25 and left home. I stayed with some friends until I found a job. Not too long after that I bought my own car. I shared a rental house with a different friend and then when I didn't feel it was fair, I got me a studio apartment I could afford on my own. That was a good decision I made that January to stick it out a little longer and get my High School Diploma. I didn't follow in my fathers foot steps, I saw some things I didn't like and I tried to change them in my own life. Personal Responsibility. I did not play the blame game for the rest of my life. It is my parents fault, they were dysfunctional and it is their fault that I am too.  No I tried to fix things in my life. I bought my first house when I was 21 years old. My second child was born when I was still 22 years old.  I had my first brand new house built when I was 33. It was small but it was mine.  I loved my job I had when I was 26 years old, but after a few years I realized that job was going away and I took CATIA classes to start a different career. I liked that. I took off hours classes to get there after working during the day or evening. Personal Responsibility. I recognized things were changing and changed me, prepared my self for a big change. I didn't blame the company for doing away with my old job that I liked, I prepared for a new job. There were still days when the job was difficult and I stayed, I did not quit even though there were days I wanted to. Things got better. I went through more than one divorce and I am sure in the beginning like everyone else, it was the other persons fault. I went to divorce recovery and tried to recognize my own faults and change me. Personal Responsibility. Many times I thought that advice is not for me, it is for others and I paid a price for a hard lesson. Personal Responsibility. I was there for my Mom when she had difficulties with hip and knee joints failing and needing to be replaced. I remember one 2 year period when she ended up in the hospital 22 times if my memory is correct. When my Dad got sick, I transferred my job to Renton and left my job early many days to take Dad to the doctor or what ever the need was. Personal Responsibility. I am not the only one that sacrificed part of their life for a parent that got old. I had some brothers and sisters that did too. They were raised in the same conditions as I was and got over it.  Personal Responsibility. We grew up and took charge of our own lives. We changed some things so as to not be the same as our parents. We realized they did the best they knew and we moved on. Personal Responsibility. Some people can go all through life and blame parents or society for every perceived wrong, others make their own way and make changes as they see the need. My parents had me for 18 years plus a little. What I did after that is on me. With God's help I made a lot of changes. With God's help I went through some trials and difficulties. I am still standing and think I didn't do too bad. I had a High School Diploma and some computer classes I took and I became an engineer.  I believe God helped me with that. I started  on my own and the company needed CATIA operators and they actually paid me to go to some of the classes. Sometimes if we show some initiative , some Personal Responsibility, we also get help along the way. There is a saying God helps those that help them selves.  I am responsible for what I became after age 18. I left my parents home and forged out on my own with $25 in my pocket.  I did not live a perfect life, there are things, I don't like to tell. God blessed and helped me along the way. I think Personal Responsibility and making the best of my lot in life helped. There are many stories I could tell, trials, tribulations, 4 divorces, but I am still standing tall today. God bless. LVZ.