![]() Linda O'Malley - 1963 Bio & Picture from 40th Reunion Linda O'Malley Fajen - 2003-10-21
Wow,
Forty years! That was fast. And what do I have to show for
it? Certainly not fame or fortune, but then I chose the path of least
ambition – that of a stay-at-home mom. Mike and I had three daughters
all of whom are now potty trained, their teeth are straight, they have
graduated from college and are married. We survived three weddings
in four years. The reception of the third wedding, where this picture
was taken, could be referred to as my retirement party. In honor
of the occasion, Mike and I sang a duet to the tune of Oklahoma.
It captured our heartfelt sentiments.
And we will not cry as we wave good-bye, For we’ll be like newlyweds again. We know we will be in demand. “Hello Dad, its broken lend a hand” So, when we say “YEOW- A YIP-I-O-E-A” We’re only saying, “Sure it’s OK if you leave us, We’ll be newly weds again. OK to be on your way” Hal-le-luuuuu-ia! So, who are these kids that we are so proud to have out from under roof? Tracey our oldest and her husband Geoff live near Providence RI. Tracey, who graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Illinois, has red hair and the temperament to go with it. Naturally assertive and highly opinionated, her spontaneous humor is all that stands between her and altercation. The thing she loves to do most is offer advice, need it or not. Geoff is a graduate of SCAD film school here in Savannah. They work for High Output, a rental warehouse for movie and stage equipment. Geoff is a lighting technician and Tracey was an accountant and, naturally, an unsolicited advisor to the CEO. That is until last month when she had our first grandchild, Logan Michael. For High Output, it was a VERY BLESSED event. She can now stay home to ‘advise’ Logan. Betsy, our middle daughter, at age eight was so crazy about horses, she became one. She ate raw oats and did not sleep in her bed, but in a ‘stall’ made of blankets and rags on the floor. She galloped on all fours constantly – indoors and out, up and down stairs. We considered analysis. Sometime as she approached adulthood, she began to walk erect, but she never lost her enthusiasm for horses. During her college years at Georgia Southern University, she founded an equestrian team that competed locally and nationally. Today she lives with her husband, Fitz, in Columbus, Mississippi, where she trains horses and riders. We managed to keep Fitz, a chemical engineer, in the dark about her past until after the knot was tied. Kelly graduated from the University of Georgia in International Business and works for Progressive Insurance. Her husband, David, is a physical therapist. Their relationship got off to an interesting start. They attended different High Schools, but knew each other from church. When Kelly was a sophomore, she assumed a fellow that had been flirting with her was going to invite her to the homecoming dance. In the course of conversation, it slipped that he intended to ask someone else first. Playing second fiddle was not her style so she told him she already had plans. Spurned, dateless and in a panic, she started calling in alphabetical order guys from her youth group phone list. Mark Anander was not home, so she called David Bringman. He was not home either, but his mother answered the phone and Kelly asked her if David could go to homecoming. By the time David got home, it was a done deal. Six years later, on his twenty-third birthday, they were married. They live here in Savannah. It took thirty years to get to this point. I would not trade a minute of it, but I would not want to start over either.
So
back to my original question, what do I have to show for the last forty
years? Tons of pictures, piles of scrapbooks and oodles of memories.
Isn’t that better than fame and fortune?
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