Self Imposed Identity Theft

I wanted to 'post' something today, however, nothing was entering my mind, and declined. Then, as I was just going through a stack of mail, tossing all the junk aside in a trash bag, I pulled some of it back out to tear up. I do have a shredder out in the garage & have never used it, says the 'Queen of Procrastination'. Thoughts of identity theft cross my mind, but, 'nah', tearing this up will be okay. Then I start thinking about 'my identity'.

Back in the days of managing an apartment complex (railhead) with 244 units, housing Federal Aviation Employees attending the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center here in Oklahoma City, I was really making a name for myself. I was a very friendly 'hands on' effective manager. I had been managing FAA properties since 1969, but railhead was the brand new constructed property on the FAA list. We were the #1 choice of students from day one. I watched students come thru training, marry, have children, and saw some of these children come back to OKC for training & stay @railhead.....and they would say to me 'fran, do you remember me?, My family stayed here when I was 10 years old'. And, I always did. I had a great memory back then.....hell, I probabably could have told him his dogs name!...true story. We had an 80% repeat business. We were set up like a long term stay in a hotel, with all furnishings. We even owned & rented cars... We had functions every week, BBQ's, wednesday happy hour, kegs, BYOB, blackjack, tri-monthly 'theme parties' etcetera. I was the Pearl Mesta 'hostess with the mostest'....and it was a blast! It was a fantastic job!

But this fantastic job was taking a toll on me, & I wanted something else.......I knew this life of debauchery had to change, & I looked for 'a way out'. Well, my way out walked through the door to 'check in', March, 1987. He was from Guam. GUAM?, where in the hell is that? Long story short, I packed up and moved to Guam in August, 1988. We connected either in Oklahoma or the Micronesia islands every six weeks between '87 & '88. I was so in love with my native man from the islands. I made the decision to leave railhead & never look back. I studied Japanese with a group @one of the local library's, I went to school to become a certified 'travel agent', and passed both classes successfully. I'm getting prepared for Guam!

This is where the 'lost identity' comes in. When I arrive & we settle into our apartment, I decide not to even look for work because Bob has another school in OKC scheduled for October, and I want to go along. So, I just enjoy being absolutely lazy & become a beach bum.

When we return to Guam the end of November, It's time to 'buckle down' and find a job. OMG! I have not looked for a job in nearly twenty years!...It was a horrible experience! Haole's, (outsiders, especially white americans) are not received well at all..............'I'm a Nobody here.....I don't like it at all' I have all this experience, I have a professional resume, but, NEVER MIND! It was absoutely horrible! I was nothing to these people when I was applying for work, usually discarded after a very short interview. What is wrong?? I would be a valuable employee, for God's sake! I finally got a job as a sales representative for a wholesale distributor selling Longines & Fendi watches to the Duty Free shops & became the manager there before landing my General Manager position with six d enterprises, inc.

It was an eye opener that I never wanted to experience again. By the time I left Guam in 1999, I was 'A big fish in a small pond'. I was a member of Soroptomist International, on the board of The Cancer Society, was on the Board of Directors to at least five Homeowner Association groups, etcetera, etcetera......I had a new identity.