Running to or Running from?
Karen Ann Downey
I started running away at an early age. I was five the day I left our front yard and walked to the school to visit my auntie's classroom. Why wasn't anyone watching me or taking care of me? That was the beginning of my running. Some 50 years later, I found myself on the other side of the world in Thailand.
Boost Your Health!
Chapter 1
This old writing from 2001-2002 just surfaced (from google) as I was looking through pieces of my life before celebrating turning 75 years old. 02-02- 2020
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I live in the village of Sai Mun, Thailand which is in Northeastern Thailand and involved with Integrated Education and Community Outreach (student-centered learning) for my service work. I have been here 1 year now. My path definitely beats to a different drummer. I am very involved in community outreach. I help a Thai teacher of English at the Wat schoolhouse. I live next door to the Wat (Buddhist Temple). The monks and novices are my friends. I have taught them to say hello and wave. I also facilitate an English conversation class at the Yasothon Hospital. I also am working on getting Alcoholics Anonymous started in the area. I taught exercise to the children in the school for a little while (I was an old Jazzercise instructor in the 80s). I taught a Reiki I class to a group of doctors nurses at the hospital and there is a waiting list for the next class. In America, my last career was an RN massage therapist, reflexologist, Reiki Master, crystal healing and aroma therapist. Never in a million years did I ever dream of teaching here. Next week, I will be teaching the Reiki I class to the monks and novices at the schoolhouse. What an honor. As you can see, I have a different niche.
Chapter 6..OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.. MARRIAGE 12
Chapter 6
OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.. MARRIAGE
My dream came true. My prayers were answered. I am married to Garry. I cannot even remember the first night we slept together, in a bed, at his parent’s house. One would think it would be fireworks and bliss. I guess, however, it was quite a bit different than getting together in the visiting room at the reformatory, jail, sneak meetings at his friend’s houses, bars, or the back seat of my mom’s car. On the other hand, was it different? Maybe it was just another aspect of dysfunction, since I was six months pregnant.
Garry had never asked me out on a date. A date as I imagine would be a movie, dinner, a dance, or a walk in the park perhaps, which I would now imagine as a date. However, our get together meetings were on the sneaks. I had a fake ID, and there were a couple of bars where we would meet to drink and dance. I was so attracted to him but needed to get a little high to let down my defenses. I just wanted to kiss and be close to him.
Chapter 12..205 Creston 28 July 2022
Chapter 6
Chapter 12… 205 Creston Drive
TRAMA, DRAMA AND NEW BEGINNINGS
The places I’ve lived act as reference points for my memories, and the house at 205 Creston Drive brings up a lot. We lived there for 5 years, the longest time we lived in one place. Wow! So much happened there: Ronda started acting out, Rod was in a near fatal accident, Garry and I separated and got back together twice, the boys graduated from high school, we took a trip to the Holy Land, I taught catechism classes and got involved with the church parish council, I started Overeaters Anonymous, I quit selling real-estate, I got certified to teach Jazzercise, Garry quit drinking, Ron met Karen, attended a Marriage Encounter Group, and dips into depression and anxiety were increasing. I’m going to share about these events but not necessarily in the above order.