What are three life events that would have changed who you are today?

Being born.
Getting the job I have now over 23 years ago.
Having a child.

When I hatched.
When I was killed.
When I was reconstructed. We had the technology.

Spending a year of university abroad as an exchange student.
Getting sober.
Coming out of the closet.

My dad being an actual decent human being.
My mom not choosing alcohol over everything else.
Joining the military.

At 5, the worst thing that could happen to a child did happen. It included a very dark night, a road that disappeared into a never-ending hole, and a smiling face. A face that cannot be unseen for eternity.

At a later time in my childhood, if I had never gone outside that one night I may have been different now.

As a teenager, I made a very big mistake and paid for it. I was chained into a dark place for years.

Being abused as a child
Losing an older brother
My divorce

My first marriage
Having the kids
My second marriage

Joining the military
Having children (being a father)
Getting a divorce

I left my first husband because I loved him. I had a tubal pregnancy, and the doctor said that what was left of me probably would never be able to conceive. My husband was looking forward to being patents so much. I watched life ebb from his eyes. I could not bear it. I left him and asked for a divorce.
I just learned recently he was shot to death a few years ago by his daughter’s ex boyfriend. If we had stayed together it would be different for us both. He would still be alive. I would not be alone and miserable. I would have someone around tall enough to check that lightbulb in the kitchen. He would be alive. Even though we split decades ago, and both of us remarried, I feel like a widow.

Joining the military. I learned quite a lot that I would never have learned elsewhere.

Being in that crosswalk when that guy thought he could beat the light so he speeded up to make that left turn. He hit me so hard one of my contact lenses popped out, and they found one of my hairpins in the gutter, about twenty feet away.
I never saw the off duty firefighter who held my head on his lap while EMTs were on their way. They cut my pants off in the street. The driver started to walk toward me. I shouted for him to get back. People thought it was because to move me could be dangerous. Truth is, if he had come within reach I would have pulled him to the ground with me, and killed him with my bare hands. Yes. It hurt that much.

@Patty You are a great writer. I felt all you wrote.

Being traumatized by an always angry and frustrated parent.
Not getting married.
Starting and running my own business for 25+ years.

Emotional neglect growing up, losing my full time job several years ago, and the onset of serious health problems almost five years ago.

@kritiper You never got married?

@KNOWITALL Nope. Not that I didn’t try…

@kritiper Interesting. I probably shouldn’t have, but it is what it is.

Having people try to kill me
Having to kill them to avoid it
Simply being in any of those ridiculously horrible countries where it happened

((((((@josie))))))