Carolyn Howell:
CLASS OF 1974
Grace Lutheran SchoolClass of 1974
St. petersburg, FL
Carolyn's Story
I pretty much expect to be remembered as nice,but naive'.
After a rare bad day at work, I have the luxury of having a standing kick-boxing bag to puch until I wear myself out. Other alternatives is to either have a glass of wine, eat some comfort food,or go driving in my car playing my favorite music a little louder than usual.
The wildest thing to happen to me in school was trying to comprehend Spanish in the 5th grade! I still don't speak the language! LOL! Aside from that, I took my Dad's car on a joyride with some friends during my lunch break in high school. Everyone else was skipping a class,but it was my lunch. This was in my Senior year in high school. My Dad was the math teacher at the school I went to. And yeah,we got busted. Especially when I came back from the joyride only to find someone took my Dad's parking spot. LOL!
If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have music, a egromic chair,and an organized atmosphere to be able to deal with the day-to-day.
My hero is definitely God. He created me knowing how I was going to turn out before He created this world. My mental and spiritual strength comes from Him.
I have never really left St. Petersburg. I ended up on my own for 3 years in my apartment, but an auto accident and a loss of a job caused me to move back home. It was just as well because since my parents had me late in life,their health was starting to go downhill. My Dad passed away in 2001 from prostate cancer. At this writing,(Sept.2009)should my Mom live to see her birthday next month, she'll be 84. I had moved out simply because I wanted to be on my own.
The one person from my past who I'd most like to see again is Jonathan Reed,because he was the first guy who I ever recall having a crush on,and I just wanted to know whatever became of him. I'm sure he's probably married and has kids. I just wanted to know what he ended up doing career-wise because he had such a pleasant personality.
I like watching hockey because its such a fast-paced game. Rarely watch TV actually. The only shows I did watch were Heroes and Nip/Tuck. Once in a blue moon,I'll watch Dancing With The Stars and Private Practice. I do like photography, hitting the flea market, and doing karaoke. In or outdoor movies or concerts and making my own jewelry. Love going to the Bay Area Renaissance Festivals because I always have a good time. Its my version of Disney World.
Sigh... I'll have to say that the biggest surprise in my life is my weight gain. I'm having trouble keeping my weight down due to health reasons. Aside from that,I'd have to say not being married is my biggest surprise. But hey,everything happens for a reason. If it happens, it happens and I'll be a mighty mighty happy person.
If I could improve my home, I'd remodel the bathroom to have a jacuzzi and a shower instead of a regular bath tub with a shower and add on a walk in closet in all the bedrooms. My dream home would be eccentric..
Children... I was at one time somewhat clairvoyant at a very young age. When I was 11, I wanted to have 2 sons whenever I got married. They had to be boys. WhenI hit 12, nothing drastic happened, i simply comprehended that I didn't want to have kids. I knew I would have to end up taking care of my parents,and figured my brother would be the one to have kids. Guess what? My brother has 2 sons. Wild,huh?
The one teacher I would like to see was one that was in high school. I honestly don't remember too many of my teachers from Grace Lutheran. Mr. Burtnett was an English teacher and a wrestling coach. I liked his sense of humor. I'd like to see him again because I'm curious as to how the students were after our class and to see how long he ended up staying there.
If I won $100 million, I'd give my pastor some of it to get the church built, then spend the rest on paying off debts, get the house remodeled and probably update my wardrobe, but nothing flashy or f...Expand for more
ancy. I'm the type that will wear clothing until it starts tearing or falling apart..
To me,TRUE happiness is making it into Heaven and seeing God along with getting aquainted with the Angels who probably lost quite a few feathers because of me. At least there, I know I won't be lonely anymore....
My current age is 45. When I was 12, I thought that people my age now would be well-established,have a lot of money, and had it all together. I was so completely unprepared for all the detours that happened due to circumstances beyond my control..
In my particular work environment,I work behind the scenes so to speak. But in the same breath,I am also the nerve center. My motto is pretty much,"We can't make everybody happy,but we try to help everyone."
I have no idea what happened to my first crush. I hope that he is alive,in good health,and happy. I hope that I will be able to reconnect with him to find all that out. Quite honestly, I'll be surprised if he has remained in St. Petersburg all of this time.
My best friend would tell you I'm quiet or observant, but people who don't know me very well would probably describe me as reclusive.
I wear things that are comfortable. Nothing fancy really. If it catches my eye for a reason, I'll get it if I can afford it.
I share my home with my oldest nephew, which I find somewhat tolerable. Mom is not a problem because she's very understanding and has a great sense of humor.
If I could do one do-over, it would definitely be my career choice. It doesn't pay well as I would like for it to,but it is a vital position to keep everything flowing smoothly.
My oldest friend would be Vicki, a high school class mate. I was a bookworm in the library,and she befriended me. She was friendly and introduced me to her friends who accepted me, and we all got along very well.
The main thing that would surprise everyone at my high school reunion is how much weight I've gained. Iknow,Iknow, everybody gains weight. You have to understand,in high school, I was a scrawny 118lbs. Wasn't starving myself or anything like that -- just good metabolism. I believe I have developed a thyroid problem as I got older,but I never got treated for it. Now I weigh a shocking 210 lbs.
Now,aside from the weight issue, the only other thing that would surprise everyone is my general youthful appearance. Had I taken better care of myself and not focus so much on taking care of everyone else,I'd be skinny still. What can I say? Life happens!
My first job was at a Financial Planning company, where I got paid $2.75 to $3.00 or $4.00 an hr. What I remember most about it is my boss running in to tell me some group named Van Halen was roller-blading around the complex. I wanted to scream because he had no idea I wanted to see them, let alone that I was into them. When I told him who they were, he told me he would have let me see them if he had known about it sooner. Oh well.
My wildest childhood memory is again on the clairvoyant level.One morning while visiting my Grandmother and her sister up in Georgia, we were getting ready to make breakfast. Again,this was when I had to be under the age of 12. To both my Grandmother and my Aunt, they would start a sentence,and I would finish it. Literally,I was pulling words out of their mouths for about a good 5 minutes. Finally,my aunt,who was quite bewildered by all of this,asked me,"how do you know what we're going to say before we can even get half way through what we're about to say?" I just remember being nonchalant about it by shrugging my shoulders and saying, "I just know what you're about to say and I just blurt it out. It just happens". I knew it wasn't normal,but it never freaked me out,and I just accepted it. Everyone else in my family did too. For a while,I was "knowing" who was going to die next in the family. I only told Mom aout it,because I knew Death was a scary subject for some people.
Register for Free to view all details!
Reunions
Register for Free to start a reunion event!
Photos