Today, I had to provide a journalist with some information about myself. Strange, but photographs and articles about me have appeared in newspapers at least a dozen times. I say strange because I am not famous.
The first time an article about me appeared in the newspaper was in the Washington Post on Monday, November 17, 1969. My beau and I eloped to North Carolina and married on November 15, 1969. His family lived in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C.
On the day that we married, there was an anti-war demonstration in D.C., and the next day, remnants of the 250,000 from the previous day’s demonstrations held a second rally at the Three Sisters Bridge- right en route to my young husband’s grandmother’s house. My new sister-in-law and her three-year-old son were in the car with us. We were locked in traffic; the police mistook us for demonstrators, gassed us, reached into our car with their clubs, left us with a few bruises, and broke my husband’s glasses. To a young reporter from the Washington Post, we were prime examples of police brutality in that long ago era of anti-establishment sentimentality.
Ok, that was an instance of wrong place, wrong time, but the subsequent times that articles about me appeared in the paper, it was for personal or professional accomplishments. This particular article is also about an accomplishment albeit a small one. Truth is, all of my accomplishments are newspaper ‘filler’, not headlines. This time, the Coast Guard Fine Art Program accepted one of my paintings for which I received a Public Service Award.
Getting back to today’s questions, after telling him about my military service (Army Air Defense 1974-1977) he remarked that I lead an interesting life. Was it interesting? Is that the right word? I have certainly had some unusual experiences. I had my share of triumphs and tragedies, but how does one live to be 60 years old and not be able to say that?
I failed in my first attempt at writing this blog about life after 60. According to Carl Jung, I am in the afternoon of life where my major developmental tasks are to integrate the conscious and unconscious parts of myself. He must be right. My dreams have taken strange twists and turns, and with many of them, I am not too pleased. I wake up wondering about my thoughts and attitudes, and yes, my feelings.
Whether I choose this direction or it chose me, I am on this path. I am integrating.
Turning Points- Life Is Full Of Them!
dottieriley 
I’m right there with you Dottie. As I said before I share so many of your experiences – I was also in anti-war rallys in 1969 – but out here in Australia. I’ve also been paying attention more closely to my dreams recently – and been very surprised by their content – after taking part in a series of Life Review workshops (drawing on the work of James Hollis, a Jungian analyst). I’ll write more about this unfolding path in my blogs after I return from a writing course in Bali.