This Blog Post was inspired by a challenge made by Debbie Reynolds of the Active Rain Community.  I rarely participate in contests or challenges, but this one caused me to pause.  By sharing more about myself, I may make you more comfortable in sharing something about yourself.  Trust is earned so it stands to reason removing some of the mystery can help begin that process.

Here is part one of two; 10 things you may not know about me from the past.

Please note my sharing of the following information may cause you to wonder why on earth you'd want to know me better;

Perhaps it will be just the thing which motivates you to hastily slam the door and run the other way as quickly as possible;

Or perhaps, just perhaps it will cause that door of mystery to creak open just enough we'll be able to build on a great foundation.

• My first memories are from age two . . .  what a time that was!
• I rode a stallion for the first time when I was age five; well, he was a miniature horse - but still!
• I was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts back when it was normal to knock on doors.
• I loved riding my bicycle and would be gone for hours on end.
• I went logging every summer with my family so we'd have firewood to keep us warm throughout the winter months.  We also harvested lodge-poles and built the fencing around our property.
• I worked in the fields for a seed company a couple of summers removing the rogue breeds so the harvest would be of only one variety for those of you who plant gardens (think iceberg lettuce vs. romaine).
• I was a car-hop at the A & W Restaurant in Nyssa, Oregon and no, we didn't wear skates because the parking lot was too bumpy.
• I was very active in music as a teenager.  I played the flute and piccolo in band and performed as a singer.  I later went on to sing the National Anthem at the one year anniversary party of the Hubble Space Telescope launching hosted by NASA in Sunnyvale, California.
• I left the U.S. Air Force during the first Iraq conflict.  I wanted to be a Navy Seal - but that wasn't feasible in those days.
• I was a subcontract administrator and over the years worked on many programs including  Airborne Laser, C-5 Modernization, F-117 Maintenance through retirement and U-2 Sustainment.

If you've continued to read this far, thank you and I invite you to reach out and share about yourself.  Perhaps we're not so dissimilar afterall.