Brenda Plank:  

PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR MILITARY, THE FAMILIES, THE ENEMY AND OF COURSE OUR COUNTRY. NOW FOR WHAT I DID AFTER JUNE 17, 1969 I WANT TO SAY HOW BLESSED I'VE BEEN TO HAVE KNOWN SO MANY SPECIAL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE. I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW MANY SCHOOL FRIENDS HAVE PASSED AWAY. MANY WERE VERY YOUNG, BUT ALL ARE MISSED DEEPLY. I WILL NEVER FORGET THESE PEOPLE NOR WILL I FORGET ALL THE FRIENDS I HAD DURING AND AFTER MY SCHOOL YEARS. IT'S BEEN NICE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THOSE I'VE RE-CONNECTED WITH, AND EVEN THOSE I'VE LOST CONTACT WITH, I STILL THINK OF THEM. EVERY PERSON, INCLUDING CLASSMATES AND TEACHERS I'VE BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE KNOWN, TAUGHT ME SOMETHING. IF YOU DON'T LEARN SOMETHING FROM EVERY EXPERIENCE, BE IT GOOD OR BAD, THEN I FEEL THAT WAS A WASTED CHANCE. OH YEAH, DID I MENTION I LOVED ELVIS THEN AND NOW? I AM REALLY THE #1 FAN. AND YES I SAW HIM IN PERSON A COUPLE OF TIMES, FIRST TIME IN 1954 JUST BEFORE I TURNED 3. I'VE LOVED HIM SINCE. SO IF YOU SEE HIS FACE ONCE IN A WHILE, NOW YOU'LL UNDERSTAND... I'VE LEARNED- THAT YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK AND RE-DO SOME THINGS OR GET THE CHANCE TO TAKE BACK SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE SAID HURTFUL TO SOMEONE. IF YOU WAIT AROUND, YOU MAY NEVER GET THE CHANCE TO SAY SOMETHING YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SAY AND THEN IT'S TOO LATE. YOU SHOULD TREAT EVERY DAY AND EVERYONE AS IF IT'S THE LAST DAY TO BE ALIVE. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO ON WITHOUT ANY REGRETS. ALSO LEARNED THAT WE DON'T LIVE FOREVER SO WE NEED TO FIX OUR MISTAKES WHILE WE CAN AND TO MAKE SURE WE LEAVE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THAN WHEN WE CAME. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS GROW UP WITH MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN WE DID SO THEY CAN BETTER THE WORLD FOR THEIR GENERATIONS TO COME. WORKING AT KAISER IN H.C FOR SO MANY YRS, I GOT TO SEE TEACHERS FROM ALL THE SCHOOLS. MR. MARDESICH WAS THE LAST ONE AND HE WAS STILL SO VERY HANDSOME. I SAW SO MANY PEOPLE I KNEW THRU OUT MY LIFE AND I WISH I HADN'T GOTTEN ILL AND FORCED TO RETIRE. WORKING IN THE LAB WAS THE MOST EXCITING JOB EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER HAD. IT DID MAKE ME A VEGETARIAN THO. I HAVEN'T EATEN ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL SINCE 1979. THE HARDEST JOB I EVER HAD- WAS WORKING IN NURSING HOMES AND WITH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED KIDS WHICH THE REALLY ILL ONES COULDN'T TELL WHEN THEY HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND WENT ON THEMSELVES AND LOTS OF THEM COULDN'T GO AT ALL SO I HAD TO DO FECAL IMPACTION REMOVALS, I DIDN'T MIND BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD TO HELP THEM. I ALWAYS PUT MYSELF IN THEIR PLACE. IT WAS PROBABLY MORE EMBARRASING FOR THEM AND PAINFUL TOO SO I WAS GLAD TO HELP OUT. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE JUST BECAUSE THE PT'S WERE PARALYZED OR HAD SOMETHING LIKE M.S.OR C.P, THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT. A LOT OF THOSE PT'S., WERE MORE INTELLEGENT THAN SOME OF THE DR.'S SO BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE, ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER, THEY AREN'T ALL DEAF. EVERYONE HAS FEELINGS. THE PERSON YOU'RE TALKING TO MAY ALSO KNOW THE PERSON YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. MY AGE IS 60 AND WHEN I WAS 12 I THOUGHT PEOPLE MY AGE WOULD BE SO OLD AND I WAS RIGHT. :) QUESTION, WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM THE KIDS WE RAISED, I LEARND PAITENCE, WITHOUT IT I WOULD'VE BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED..LOL. THE TEACHER I WOULD MOST LOVE TO SEE, IS THE SCHOOL NURSE. MRS. ROBB. I WORKED IN THE NURSES OFFICE FROM 5TH THRU 12TH GRADE. I WANTED TO WORK IN THE CAFETERIA, BUT I WAS A NAIL BITER AND THEY WOULDN'T LET ME. BUT THANK GOD THE SAME SCHOOL NURSE OFFERED ME . A JOB IN JPPT, AND I GOT PAID FOR IT. TO BE TRULY HAPPY, I WOULD NEVER HAVE LEFT SAN PEDRO, BUT IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, I WOULD STILL BE THERE, SINCE THAT ISN'T POSSIBLE, I HAVE TO SAY BEING AROUND THE KIDS AND JUST HAVING A PLACE TO LIVE. . QUESTION, I WON 1ST PLACE FOR CARROT CAKE AND RED VELVET. NO ONE EVER HEARD OF THEM BEFORE. I STILL HAVE MY RIBBONS, AND LETTERS FROM TRACK IN DANA AND SPHS. I DON'T THINK I'D DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT- JUST BETTER. IN 10 YRS I HOPE TO STILL BE ALIVE, I'VE CHEATED DEATH MORE THAN A CAT. BUT I GOT HERE BECAUSE GOD TAKES CARE OF ME. APPARENTLY HE...Expand for more