by Ronald Adams

Created on: May 18, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Recently an old classmate of mine from Randolph High School back in Massachusetts got in touch with me via e-mail. He caught me up on a few things in his life, and a few things about a mutual friend and classmate. With our 30-year high school reunion coming up in October, it got me to thinking about where my life has been. He mentioned in his e-mail that I should try to send a note home to let everyone know whether I would be attending, and to let them know what I've been up to. This is a summary of the past thirty years in more or less chronological order:

Since high school, I went to college in Buffalo, New York. I got drunk, met my future wife, got sober, and got my degree. I worked nights and weekends and summers in construction, warehousing, landscaping, garbage collection, babysitting, teaching guitar and even bouncing for a short time to pay for it all. I moved to New York, got my first job as a physical therapist, got married, moved to State College, Pennsylvania in a two compact cars and one small U-haul trailer. I worked as a rehab director for a rural hospital, took a job in Warren, Ohio to start a new clinic for a large private practice. We moved back to New York when mom-in-law became sick to help take care of her, and went to work for the same person I started with. We spent the next eleven years trying to start our family. Finally adopted two brilliant children from the city of Chita, Russia. We started a business, ran an outpatient rehab clinic for ten years, lost it to bad decisions and poor advice. Cost me more than I can describe, including a good friend. Found work as a salesman, an injury prevention consultant, a program developer and on site support specialist for an equipment manufacturer. I began writing my first novel, and published it 3 years later. Lost another job when the corporation I worked for pulled the plug on the program they hired me for. Another period of severe character building followed, including getting my limo license and driving for a friend's company. Returned to work as a therapist, this time in geriatrics, and have been enjoying it more than ever. I am still writing, with a second novel coming out soon, and three more in the works. 23 years later, I am still married to the love of my life, and I'm head over heels about my son and daughter.

So, what have I learned in thirty years? I've learned to appreciate what I have by losing almost everything. I've learned that there is nothing so devastating that you can't start over. I've learned that there is nothing more important than family. I've learned that love and luck are never to be underestimated or taken for granted. And I've learned to laugh, long and loud and hard, because life is far too important to be taken seriously.

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