of disciplining. At the same time, I was hoping not to be informed when the friend planned to repeat an engagement in the dangerous activity and if one was informed, I hoped that the friend would not be injured or killed.
Another girl that I became friendly with through an association with a high school ski club was of an enthusiastic, vibrant, and outgoing personality. Together we looked forward to weekend day ski trips to nearby skiing centers. Both of us were novice skiers so we became companions on the various beginners slopes offered by the ski centers. Over a short time period, we believed ourselves to be accomplished enough to advance to the intermediate ski slopes. After descending from these more challenging slopes only a few times, the girl stated that she was advancing to the professional ski slope. I advised her against this idea believing the slope to be too dangerous for our level of skill. Disregarding this advice, she ascended the advanced ski slope. A short time later I was concerned to see that she was brought down the slope on a stretcher by a rescue team after breaking her leg.
Mother reported to us that an acquaintance was adopting from an orphanage a bi-racial child from Vietnam who was the child of a Vietnamese woman and an American serviceman. Mother further commented that many of these bi-racial children born during the Vietnam War were orphaned because of the ostracism experienced by many of the Vietnamese women who gave birth to mixed race and possibly the enemy’s child (North Vietnam). Mother suggested the idea that we too adopt a bi-racial child from Vietnam. I was happily excited about this idea and offered any assistance needed. However upon further discussion, mother and father decided against pursuing this contemplated adoption partially due to their job related time constraints.
During this year, I suffered from some health problems that were real, but perhaps brought on by a degree of hypochondria which lead to becoming self absorbed due to various physical ailments and symptoms. Physicians could not identify any particular causes for my illness. At this time, I decided to attend Catholic mass regularly on Sundays. I attended several masses but felt self conscious as I attended mass alone. There is also a part of the Catholic mass where it is expected that people turn to one another and say “Peace be with you” that is offered through a handshake. My last visit to mass during this period of my life was when I extended my hand to say “Peace be with you”, to a person in the vicinity, who was shaking hands with someone else. This was an uncomfortable and humiliating experience for me and so, I felt anxiety about attending mass and quit this requirement of a Commandment.
The high school curriculum I was registered for was termed the “academic track” which was a curriculum of required specified courses of study to be enrolled in, based on a student’s decision to attend college. I struggled through four years of mathematics courses including introduction to algebra, algebra, intermediate algebra, and geometry. Walking through the school hallway with a school friend one day, I could not help but notice a math grade on an exam that she had recently taken. The grade was in the nineties and so I congratulated her on this excellent score. Looking at the problems on this test, I realized that I could easily solve these problems. The course was a general math course that was