by Mere

Created on: July 28, 2009

In my mind and heart July 1st is a national holiday. If I had the opportunity I would party and celebrate that day from sunrise to sunset and then some more each year.

On that day in 1962 which was a Sunday I boarded a TWA plane in Detroit headed for California. A friend living there invited me to seek greener pastures in Los Angeles.

I had one hundred dollars and a one-way plane ticket in my purse. Where I would seek employment once I got there was the mystery of the year.

When the flight attendant closed that big steel door minutes before take-off I too closed a huge steel door. It was an imaginary one filled with emotion. Even though I was 25 years old my domineering mother was still trying to run my life. It had been a living hell having a brother 7 years my senior with much emotional baggage. The job I was leaving was a mediocre temporary position with no future. Most of my friends were married. No one special was in my life. Dates were few and far between. It was very easy to say good bye to a life of despair, hopelessness and loneliness.

How life changed when I stepped on California soil. It was like a dark and stormy night turning into a day full of bright sunshine and clear blue skies. It didn't take long to meet new friends and acquire a social life. Even my appearance took on a fresh look. All of a sudden I had a stunning wardrobe and I was sporting a snazzy new haircut.

Jobs were dime-a-dozen. If I didn't like a job, I merely moved on with success to another one. Soon I did have the ideal job. It was the stepping stone to a new career. I began taking classes related to the new industry I was now in.

Romance even entered into the picture. Through that job Prince Charming arrived in my life. Our love story is a memoir to be share at another time.

My decision to come to California resulted in many accomplishments. It was the beginning of independence, financial freedom, educational opportunities and most importantly having the love of a wonderful husband and two precious children.

If I had stayed in Michigan I would eventually have turned into a lost soul. That one-way plane ticket was the turning point in my life. With accomplishments of many sorts how happy I became!

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