People I know now in my life (left my marriage 11 years ago after 33 years of marriage & moved 2100 miles from anyone I knew) are amazed that I have my own farm, repair my own equipment & actually take care of my farm on my own & drive a HUGE truck & haul a horse trailer. I am 5'1" & basically small. They seem to think that smaller people don't have the strength. What blows their minds even more was that I had a very technical career as a computer design engineer after graduating with a degree in accounting & computer science.

As people get to know me they get glimpses of my past & what my previoys life before where I am now consisted of.....then throw in the fact that I have an AA degree in music. Mostly I am just quiet about what I know I it inly comes to light when it is needed for some reason.

My parents had no idea how to deal with such an independent kid nor one who excelled in everything I sat my mind to.

Driving was the most important thing to me. My mom didn't drive till I was 16 & my dad worked nights so it totally limited my activities because my parents had no socual connections to arrange for anyone else to drive me nor could they trade with anyone so it severily limited my social activities to what I could walk to or arrange something myself....& honestly I resented what it did to my life so I actually started learning tovdrive a car oyt in the Calif desert where there was no traffic when I was 13. My parents loved to take drives out to the desert where my dad was sure he would find his gold mine. I hated going anywhere with them so only agreed if I would get a chance to drive out on the desert roads.

Actually I am the one who expects myself to be able to do anything I really want to. I have learned over the years I do have some limitations & even limitations on talent level which is why I didn't continue with the music major & my flute performance though I played in chamber groups up until 11 years ago.

I have to always chuckle when men think I know nothing more than most women about certain topics until we start talking & they realize just how much I do know through conversation...lol, It is kinda entertaining. When I was buying my laen tractor & chain saw from the equipment company we were discussing something & they commented that I knew more about it than most if their customers. Probably because when I come across a problem I research it thoroughly & learn from it & it just all gets filed away in my brain for when I need it in the future.

I remember my mom saying that when people get older they quit learning. I swore that would never happen to me & it doesn't happen with any if my friends either. We enjoy sharing what we have learned when it might help. I feel like avday isn't complete If I haven't learned something new.....but that is the high expectations I hold for myself & really have no concern what anyone else expects