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She was a whiz kid, according to Ms. G, straight A student with AP classes up the wazoo, scholarship money for school, and her eyes on becoming a pediatrician someday.
She flunked out of her single disastrous semester of college, losing her scholarship and her way, taking up with the high school football star who also didn't live up to his potential and went to seed in a bad way.
She and boyfriend ended up living with her mom, he couldn't get a job because he couldn't pass a drug test, she drifting and uncertain.
The nail in her coffin was his convincing her to pawn a couple of items of jewelry he claimed he'd had for years but actually had been stolen from their landlord's house across the street, resulting in both of their arrests and, of course, the landlord evicting the whole group effective immediately.
This past weekend Ms. G spent helping mom and mom's sister pack up everything and move to mom's sister's house while she agreed to a 28-day inpatient stay at rehab as opposed to being left on the street with no food, money or phone; boyfriend will cool his heels in jail until and unless he can make bond, which is doubtful in the near future and probably right where he needs to be.
She now has to decide to either get on the straight and narrow for real and do whatever she has to do to get the court and the landlord to drop the charges and let her pay restitution, or face a life of no options because of a criminal record, and she has until the end of the 28 days to make up her mind.
Linking up with Denise at Girlie On The Edge Blog, where she hosts Six Sentence Stories, and the cue is Nail.
(Another of those true stories Ms. G somehow gets mixed up in.)
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While Good Fences Around the World seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird, i still enjoy looking for and posting interesting fences, so i will!
I really like white picket fences.
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It's Angel Sammy's Poetry Day! This week's image and my poem:
I'm going to live my best life,
not boring, meek and mild,
adventure's what I long for,
to make it wet and wild!
I can't believe I'm finally here,
I'm living out my dream,
We're on the rapids goin' for broke
and I can't help but scream!
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Angel Brian's Family of Brian's Home hosts the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop. It's time to share something for which i am thankful.
Today i am thankful for my mostly drama-free life!
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Today is:
Bachelors' Day -- according to legend, and you may pick which you prefer:
a) women are allowed to propose to men on this day, because of a deal St. Bridget made with St. Patrick, and a man who refuses such a proposal must pay her a penalty, or
b) this is the one day of the year bachelors are immune from marriage proposals
International Underlings' Day -- created by Peter D. Morris for all of us who are neither a boss nor a professional assistant, as both of those have their own day; unofficially celebrated on Feb. 28 or Mar. 1 in non leap years, but this year it's official!
Leap Year Day
St. Oswald of Worcester's Day
Surf and Turf Day
Birthdays Today
Antonio Sabato, Jr., 1972
Tony Robbins, 1960
Gretchen Christopher, 1940
Jack Lousma, 1936
Dinah Shore, 1916
Jimmy Dorsey, 1904
William Wellman, 1896
Herman Hollerith, 1860
Gioacchino Rossini, 1792
Ann Lee, 1736
Today in History
The Romans create the first Leap Year by adding a day to their calendar, BC46
The Scottish Parliament makes it illegal for a man to refuse to marry a woman who proposes on Leap Day, the only day women could propose; his penalty for refusing would be to give her a kiss, some gold, and a pair of gloves (to hide the fact that she didn't have a wedding ring), 1288
Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies, 1504
February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style, 1712
The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations, 1796
St. Petersburg, Florida, is incorporated, 1892
In South Carolina, the minimum working age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from twelve to fourteen years old, 1916
Baby Snooks, played by Fanny Brice, debuts on the radio program The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air, 1936
For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award, 1940
In a ceremony held in Berkeley, California, because of the war, physicist Ernest Lawrence receives the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics from Sweden's Consul General in San Francisco, 1940
An earthquake in Morocco kills over 3,000 people and nearly destroys Agadir in the southern part of the country, 1960
The Family Circus comic strip debuts, 1960
In Sydney, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser sets a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle swimming competition (58.9 seconds), 1964
Hank Aaron becomes the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract, 1972
Gordie Howe of the then Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal, 1980
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announces he will retire as soon as the Liberals can elect another leader, 1984
South African archbishop Desmond Tutu is arrested along with 100 clergymen during a five-day anti-apartheid demonstration in Cape Town, 1988
Jean-Bertrand Aristide is removed as President of Haiti following a coup, 2004
Construction of the Tokyo Skytree is completed, the tallest tower in the world and the second tallest artificial structure in the world, 2012
The US and The Taliban sign a deal to end 18-year war in Afghanistan, 2020
I was alwaus taught that leap day was not today, but the 24th - the day for ladies to propose ... and bachelors to be left alone - contradictions here too :)
ReplyDeleteAdventures are the best. What a sad story and good lessons about how one bad decision can change a wonderful life forever. Hope she makes the right choices going forward.
ReplyDeleteThere's one young lady that needs to make some serious life changes. I like the pickup fence but I do believe they could use a fresh white wash on it.
ReplyDeleteI like that fence.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
"for want of a nail, yo. for want of a nail
ReplyDeleteLulu: "That is a sad six-sentence story for sure. And sadly common, right?"
ReplyDeleteJava Bean: "Our Dada says that fence needs some attention from Tom Sawyer, or whomever Tom Sawyer can con into painting it for him ..."
Such a sad story. It is better to peak after high school because the only way is down. Great poem. XO
ReplyDeleteSame old, same old. Once a loser, always a loser. Great story, nicely compact and well told.
ReplyDeleteYikes, I hope that's fiction, but I know of too many similar real life stories. And now and again you hear of how it does turn around.
ReplyDeleteDang, that was quite the story and we hope everything works out for the best, we really do. Good poem and a really great thankful too. Thanks for joining Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
ReplyDeleteGood grief! Stories like that are sad when they aren't just stories... The fence looks like it could tell a few stories of its own! And, if you are in a rapids, perhaps screaming might not be the best idea... Blub!
ReplyDeleteCat
Yet, we are fast to pass judgement to her mistakes when we attribute our own to all kinds of excuses.
ReplyDeleteThere is compassion in your story, Mimi... but one has to assume responsibility of own actions before benefiting from that.
Oooh, what a decision to make!
ReplyDeleteQuite the story but sounds like a true one ~ fun poem and unique fence photo ~ hugs,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
thecontemplativecat here. Sadly that is a story that gets repeated too many times. Choices made are bound that bring her to make him as her love. Great poem.
ReplyDeleteI hope she does get to pay retribution and then get back on the straight and narrow.
ReplyDeleteI like the image and poem too.
I mean restitution of course.
ReplyDeleteGreat story, Mimi!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what she'll do.
ReplyDeleteWhat an uplifting poem!
Once again I didn't receive a proposal - better luck next year!
This poem is GREAT! Just plain GREAT!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Pam
Life boils down to choices made. Good and bad. May she make the right choice and seek help if needed to stick to it.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem, Mimi and yes, you want to scream, lol
Hear! Hear! to mostly drama free!!