Gayle Guthrie:  

o is my grandmother. She raised me and worked whatever jobs she had to take to take care of her mother and me. She never complained about working long hours. I lost her in 2001 and miss her so-o-o very much. She would always do without in order to provide for others. I wish I hadn't been the typical ungrateful teenager and showed her more gratitude and compassion. When she was in her 80's she always told me that she felt like a young person trapped in an old body and when she looked in the mirror, it didn't look like how she felt. Now I understand how she felt. My current age is 60. When I was 12, I thought that people my age now would be just old grandparents . I was so completely wrong about a lot of things.. My first job was at Graybar Electric, where I got paid $350 per month to type invoices and file.. What I remember most about it is we had a kitchen in the office and cooked for everyone. It was great.. My final job was a teacher. I am retiring because I tripped over a parking curb in 2004 and shattered my right kneecap. I have had 5 surgeries since then, my most recent being a knee replacement in March 2012. I am retiring to do a lot of rehab so I can walk again and also because the students in today's schools are unruly, disrespectful, and the school system expects too much from teachers without the pay that is deserved. I am going to concentrate on my family and just enjoying life in general. I hope people remember me as being a nice person.