Being born during the Great Depression (萧条) , as the middle of seven children to a carpenter's family, was not a "silver spoon" experience, but I am one well blessed in life.
Our family had a large garden, raised two pigs each year for their meat, and had a family cow for our milk. During the Depression, Dad out of work, we started to do some washing for the neighborhood, employing up to seven girls at one time, and farming 12 acres of nearby land to earn a few extra dollars.
I was blessed with good teachers to help with my learning. After graduating from college, I spent two years in the army, allowing me to see Europe and build on life's experiences. I returned home, got a job in the local bank, married my sweetheart, and thought I was on my way to a normal lifestyle.
I was called back into the army when they built the Berlin Wall, just six months after completing my tour of duty in Germany. That too, turned out to be a blessing, as I hadn't worked long enough at the bank to begin health insurance.
A year later I returned home to work at the bank again. I worked my way up through the ranks to become CEO before retiring at the end of 1997. I was blessed to have had good employers and employees in my work. I've been blessed to have a devoted wife and wonderful children and grandchildren.
Today, I look back on those great experiences and see they were my possibilities to grow.
Times taught me to save for a rainy day, to help those less fortunate than me, to put others first, and the joy of being a volunteer.
