Now you may begin…
While my Dad was still alive, we talked a lot about life and happiness. I remember more than once
telling him that if I could live my life over, I wouldn't change a thing-- due to the fact that even when
things hadn't gone well, I had still learned from the experience.
I've had a lot of time to think since Dad's passing in 2004. While I'm still appreciative of lessons learned,
I've had a change of heart. I've decided that If I could live my life over, changes would be imperative.
Necessary changes are listed below.
I would never have:
* driven my little red pedal car into our in-ground pool. (and broken my arm) Just an FYI-- "Pool deck
does not equal race track". Thankfully, there was no water in the pool at the time or I would surely
have drowned.
* attempted to fill the pool with a bucket and a garden hose… barefoot. I stepped on a broken Coke
bottle and cut myself requiring 6 stitches-- on the day of our dance recital. Did I dance? Heck, yeah!
My Mom purchased foam heel cushions and placed them in my tap shoes and I was fine. After all,
Mom paid a whopping $10/month for my dance lessons at the “Karen Gibson School of Dance“, and
she wasn't going to let me "sit it out".
* designated Dad's Renault third base in a game of backyard softball. I had no intention of touching the
bases as I "ran them", but I did it without thinking. My fingers slid up into the grill on the trunk lid as I
ran by. I kept running, but skin on my right hand third finger stayed behind. "Doc" Benson took the
random parts of my finger, put then back in place and wrapped my hand. Surprisingly, everything
healed, but even now I almost scream when my nail tech even touches my sensitive finger. Whoa…
you needed to know that story, huh?
* jumped into a relationship with the first person who paid me any attention. Darn those band trips!
* spent 6 years in a marriage that was never "meant to be". Oh, God… No explanation necessary.
* quit college with a 3.75GPA and one quarter to go. I don't know what I was thinking… wait-- I
remember now what I was thinking… Disco was “king”, and Rhett’s was still open!
* married Carl without him formally proposing to me. (or at least asking) He swears he did, but I know
better. He just started talking about "when we get married" and I "went along" with him. I adored him
so… still do.
* let people know that I am capable of cleaning dove cages, preparing "paper tears" and constructing
"toppits". (Those last two are for all my magician friends…and the rest of you who are now scrambling
to find out just what paper tears and toppits are…)
* let people know that I am a "wiz" at checking my oil and changing tires …in the dark, by sense of
touch…doggone it. My Dad raised one tough "broad", and I told him so after that scenario occurred in
2000 on a dark lonely road in Orlando. (one night before I received a bright and shiny NEW cell
phone!)
* dismissed reports about my parents' well-being, and their ability to take care of themselves in NC…
while I was clueless in Florida. Curses on those who visited my parents and reported that they were
FINE. In case you haven't noticed, THEY WEREN'T. What goes around…
* allowed Dad to prevent me from getting more advanced medical care for both he and my Mom. It's
heartbreaking when the child becomes the caretaker. If we had moved them sooner, who knows what
the end result might have been??? Maybe he'd still be here…
I WOULD have:
* paid more attention in Mr. (Larry) Weatherly's Algebra II/Trig class. I didn't "get" why I needed it.
* watched my Mom closely as she prepared her fabulous Thanksgiving stuffing, so I could replicate her
recipe. *Note: I FINALLY can do it… I swear, that's why Carl married me--'cause, like all Benson
women, I can cook! (and those Skenes boys love to eat!)
* accepted the full scholarship offered to me at graduation to major in music at UNC-Pembroke. Can
you imagine me as a band director? Me, neither…not now.
* attended the "Peachtree Festival" in 1972 at the NC Motor Speedway in Rockingham, in spite of
community outcry. (I.e., if you went, you were doomed to Hell, according to every minister in town) I
might have found Carl earlier-- would history have been changed? Probably not.
* married Carl in any location of his choosing… so as to avoid the "head games" required in the Pre-
Marriage Counseling at my church and the minister who initially refused to officiate at our service
because we had known each other for only 4 months. We are now at 28 years and going strong--
guess he didn't have a clue!
* sued the hospital in Myrtle Beach where our children were born, for injuries sustained by Victoria
during her birth… injuries that were totally avoidable. But I wasn't that kind of person… 'Towanda' still
hadn't arrived.
* sued the "diet doctor" in Myrtle Beach who regularly (for over a year) had me injected with heparin,
contributing to my ITP diagnosis… and completely changing my life. Wow… if 'Towanda' had been
present, I'd be a rich woman today. LOL
* had one more child… if I hadn't gotten sick. There's a joke there-- one in my teens, one in my 20's,
one in my 30's… why NOT one in my 40's?
* gotten a "boob job". I've NEVER had big boobs-- except when I was either pregnant or "nursing"…
and it's too late for either of those… Hmmm…
* locked Carl Edward up the first time he mentioned the US Navy. No kidding! Can you spell “N-I-G-H-
T-M-A-R-E”???
I'm sure there are others… but I'm drained.
Maybe later.
Towanda
(cleverly disguised as Tina)
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Tina
(formerly Benson, as in "Streetie & Louise", native of Rockingham, currently living in Central Florida.)
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| *Towanda is my assertive, warrior-like alter ego, as in “Towanda, the amazing Amazon woman! Righter of wrongs! Queen beyond compare!“ (If that doesn’t ring a bell, go rent “Fried Green Tomatoes.“)* |