Barbara Sams:
CLASS OF 1974
North Montgomery High SchoolClass of 1974
Crawfordsville, IN
Middlesex Community CollegeClass of 2008
Middlesex, NJ
Haney Vo-TechClass of 1984
Panama city, FL
Memorial Elementary SchoolClass of 1967
Key west, FL
May Sands Elementary SchoolClass of 1964
Key west, FL
Barbara's Story
Life
After high school I joined the USAF. I was married for a short time. I went to school to update my education. Then move to IN to help Dad. I moved to DC and found work in accounting. A few years later I moved to the east coast. I then found someone wonderful and had 4 children. That someone is now deceased, so then I moved upstate. I've been diagnosed with MS a few years ago and now I'm living alone. I'm a published poet and loving my arts. Shortly after being diagnosed I fell in love again. We met online. She lives somewhere else for now. Such a lovely person.
My other bios say more.
School
Elementary school is good. Made plenty of friends. When I lived in Key West, I remember a girl I made friends with. We chatted on the phone everyday and at school. When my parents found out that she was another race, they flipped and wouldn't let me talk to her anymore. I still remember Shirley Funny and I apologize for that prejudice. I had a best friend then too. Her name was Theresa Shafer. I think she moved to PA.
When we moved to Waynetown IN, things didn't go well. Junior high was a NIGHTMARE. The Waynetown kids were unbelievably cruel. Miss Davis was too. She separated the class into the "smart" side and the "dumb" side. She singled out people to ridicule. However I made 2 good friends. Felicia Fullerton and Jackie Small. And then I met this free spirit named Vina Raiser who was so much fun to hang with. But she dropped out of school and I heard she married a marine. Then High school was consolated with other schools so I could get away from those horrible Waynetownites. I made friends like Kay Lyon who I thought was a great friend no matter what others said! And I really enjoyed art and music classes. My favorite teacher was Mrs. Klein and I remember when she played "Jesus Christ Superstar" records while we painted. I remember going to a state competition when I was in Girls Chorale too.
College
I've gone to tech schools since my expenses were zilch to go to a real college. I thought it would be better anyway since I didnt have to take those "required" college classes that I really wouldn't need.
I took Medical Secretary courses twice. I did well in those classes except the shorthand. I didn't see the point anyway since doctors wouldn't have you take shorthand. During these courses, I noticed that I made 100% on every test in Business accounting. So after I finished those classes, I took an accounting clerk course and completed in the high 90%. I didn't really make friends in those classes. I was more interested in learning. Also later I took classes for communications and poetry writing.
Workplace
However, I did find my niche in accounting. I loved working as an accounting clerk. My first administrative job was with a highly professional company near DC. I learned so much from them. I carried the experienced professionalsim to all my future jobs.
After I moved to southern NJ I found the locals were behind on technology, so getting good jobs were difficult and low pay. Whatever job I had, I ended up being "laid off". I had a good job in the USCG galley starting as the secretary. The managers were pains especially the lady manager. Karen took first place as #1 back-stabbers. The kitchen workers were ok but gossipy. Soon I was made the Office Manager and I really enjoyed the busy office work. Got "laid off" again. I heard I was replaced with a p/t clerk and the major duties were dumped on the Manager and also I was suspect of "doing something" to the records, computer, whatnot. Their lack of ...Expand for more
finding anything had kitchen staff very angry that they would try to accuse me of something. The management had to eat crow.
So then later I got a nice job as a secretary for a construction company who was building a JCPenny store. The store manager offered me a job after construction had completed. I was just a stock room grunt but I loved it. I wasn't used to so much physical work but grew strong flinging boxes around. Then promoted within a couple years to stock room supervisor! What an honor. It was a very busy job. My subordinates weren't too helpful... mostly young boys. But toward the end of that job, my partner had just died, I had 4 kids to worry about and my life kinda fell apart. My work life was great. I hated ending it because I had no nurse and sitter for my kids in the summer.
Military
Sorry to say your tax dollars didn't pay for my military service--as in, my experience in working electronics in the USAF. I was often shifted around mostly because they didn't like females in the electronics field. (they still don't)
Basic training gave me things that are embedded like I still walk in cadence without knowing it. I remember when on clean up detail there was nothing to pick up except "ant toenails and spider eyelashes". How funny. I still talk in military time and refer to dinner as chow.
Electronic school was grinding. Especially marching to school in the snow. There was a MA-1 Ssgt. trainer that I won't forget. He made a fool of me by making me stand in the front of group and saying to me "now this is a screwdriver¿¿ Ass****! But I did marry briefly for unknown reasons actually. I became pregnant but the baby was adopted since neither him or I could raise a child. We worked all the time and really wasn¿t ready for parenthood. We thought it was more fair to the child to be raised by a couple. The child was born Dec. 24th.
My first duty station was one bad experience after another. When I first came, I was pregnant so I couldn't go on the flightline to do my trained work. A few months later and finally on the flightline, I forgot a lot. I was shifted to nightshift (outa sight outa mind)and had to deal with sexist airmen. I remember once I asked to be included in their chat for once, altho all they talked about was cars, motorcycles and boats, and so one airman said "I don't anything about pots and pans" And that was IT for me. Just stayed to myself. Later a Retrofit assignment came and I was transferred there. Oh yea that's where they put the "duds" I heard. However I excelled greatly in that assignment so now they can take their prejudices and stick it!! I was promoted to a complicated task of retrofiting several-pined plugs in a very large component "rack". Also promoted to Sgt. Soon came time for the end of that assignment so then I was assigned to the tool shed where workers sign out tools for the flightline. AGAIN not on the flightline for what I was trained for. All in all I learned absolutely nothing about the fine art of electronics. I met some nice people and had some fun at least. Those oyster and beer parties were the greatest. I became a backgammon competitor at off base tournaments since I had plenty of free time in those dead end jobs those prejudice jerks tucked me into. Prejudice for what? Hmm let's see...female... ;) I married a nice man but it didn't work out so we split as friends.
The VA is a major benefit from serving in the USAF. The VA has been so valuable to me and my health now. At least your tax dollars are hard at work for a vet with disabilites. Thank you!
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