Constance Cummings:  

Hello Classmates, My name is Constance but most people call me "Connie" except for my Spanish speaking friends who call me "Conchita". The last public school event that I attended back in Ohio was my Senior Prom held at Bedford High School in May, 1967. I joined the Women's Army Corps and left Ohio on June 19, 1967 with $2.00 in my pocket and I never lived there again. Now, I am 60 years old, my hair is graying, I gained 20 pounds in 42 years and I live in Salem, Oregon. I have lived here in the capital of Oregon, the pioneer state, for 11 years, but I once lived back in Oakwood Village, Ohio. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in February, 1949 and I grew up in Oakwood Village. I attended Interstate School in 1954-55, Carylwood Elementary School, 1955-1961, Moody Jr. High School, 1961-1964 and Bedford High School, 1964-1967. I left Ohio 18 days after graduating from Bedford High School on June 1, 1967. I joined the Women's Army Corps in June 1967 and served three years on active duty, all of it in the United States. When I was in the army during the Viet Nam era, I had a stellar performance record. I learned to work with computers and I made a career for myself in civilian live in data communications. My last military duty station was Fort Sheridan, Illinois. I never liked living in Ohio so I never returned. Instead, I chose to live in Chicago for 26 years. I chose never to marry or have children. I dedicated my life to the Civil Rights Movement's, Animal Rescue groups and the Women's Liberation struggle. I once filed and won a discrimination suit against Northern Trust Bank in Chicago when I lived there. In my life, I have been both a YUPPIE and a bag-lady, and at age 60, I am still a college student working on obtaining my MBA in International Business. When I was in my 40's, I was a bag-lady because the self-rightous, white- male dominated bank that I filed my discrimination suit against, got even with me for fighting for my rights and they fired me, then they black-listed me in the business world. My my response to them, then and now, is "SO WHAT!, WHO CARES!,I WON THE DISCRIMINATION SUIT!" After I was fired, blacklisted,and unemployed, I sold all of my possessions to stay alive. Finally, I left Chicago flat-down broke, taking with me my only remaining possession on earth, my siamese cat named Loki (he was named after the mischief maker of the Olde Norse gods). I moved in with my aunt and uncle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I lasted 6 weeks then moved in with a cousin in Sparta, Tennessee. I lasted 18 months there while I worked as a waitress and restaurant cook. I am far too independent to live with another person, I prefer to live alone with my pets. I couldn't find a decent job in Tennessee so that I could pay my bills, therefore, with 84 cents in my pocket as my life savings and my cat in his carrier, I began a solo hitch-hiking odessey. I hitched out of Sparta, Tennessee and on to Albuquerque, New Mexico where I moved into a homeless shelter and lived there 5 1/2 months before I could afford an apartment on my waitress pay of $2.13 per hour. I lasted 3 1/2 years in New Mexico, then Loki and I hitched on to Las Vegas, Nevada where I washed cars for a living and lived in the ghetto apartments on Maryland Parkway and Fremont street. I lasted 6 months before I took the cat and hitched north to the Willammette Valley. I ...Expand for more