often has thought throughout the years while reading the long lists of an individual’s credentials to include high positions in many associations, that it is not humanly possible for one person to participate in so many activities and situations. Later one began to realize that perhaps a network of corruption enters into this picture to obtain certain job positions by well connected and specific groups of people living within the society, possibly to fulfill the evil goals of a larger group.
A family member began objecting to various immoralities to town and school officials to no avail, as no positive moral changes in policies and procedures were evident. The family member then decided to write a poignant letter to the United Nations discussing areas of vital moral concern regarding national and world societies. Shortly after writing this letter, the family member and spouse were audited by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) creating turmoil and anxieties to the couple until the audit was concluded.
In the autumn of this year, I procured my first “official” job at a pharmacy/department store. Prior to this job I earned money through babysitting and an allowance given to me by mother for cleaning the downstairs of the house. At this new employment, I was trained on the operation of the cash register. Later, I was assigned to the department of tobacco and photograph development. I enjoyed working in this area and especially liked the aroma of all the various pipe tobaccos. I suggested to father, that he might want to smoke a pipe. He playfully agreed and so I bought him a corncob pipe and a bag of cherry tobacco. We all laughed to observe father smoking a pipe and realized that this habit was not befitting of him. About a year and one half later while assisting at a front register, two men approached me asking to change a twenty dollar bill for a poker game. Then they asked for more change and more change. I suddenly realized that there was much less money in the cash register drawer. Subtly, I summoned a store manager to the register. While quickly explaining what had transpired, the doors to the store were locked and the police contacted resulting in the arrest of these two men for engaging in what is commonly known as “flim-flamming”. I was reprimanded for “making change”, and soon after left this job partly due to a sense of guilt and embarrassment over this incident.
On my birthday, I took the test for a drivers learning permit. Father taught me the skill of driving. As part of the requirement to obtain a drivers license, an instructional film on driving had to be viewed. One recommendation expounded in this film was never to tailgate as many accidents are caused due to this behavior. I have always tried to adhere to this bit of advice and believed it has saved me from accidents. I failed my first driving test because of a poor performance in parallel parking that was largely due to nervous anxiety. Waiting another six weeks, I retook the test passing the second time. Father sold me his car for a slightly discounted price off of book value. By the beginning of 1975, I was driving my own car.
To gain experience for a desired nursing career and help people at the same time, I volunteered first as an unpaid ambulance corps youth member and later as an unpaid volunteer in the escort department of a local hospital. This job involved transporting people by wheelchair into and out of the hospital. I would chat with the patients and try to relieve their anxiety regarding health concerns and the hospital