I was born and raised in a small Texas town by two loving, supportive parents who valued independence, education and reading. My dad, a rancher, was among the first American POWs captured by the Japanese in WW2 and instead of becoming bitter, he was grateful to survive and embraced his life with gusto. My mom was an elementary school teacher who was an early and vocal civil rights advocate, an anomaly in our town. Both were lifelong FDR Democrats and deeply involved in the community and the church. We didn’t have much money — no families did that I knew of — but we still camped every summer at national parks and my sister and I went to Girl Scout camp. I loved high school. I had great friends, all crazy about the Beatles. I was kind of a wild teenager. I was a work-study student at the University of Texas where I studied journalism. Partly because of my parents’ encouragement, I traveled widely in my 20’s, backpacking in Europe and Asia and in the U.S. I worked as a journalist and later for the Texas WIC program and for the University of Texas Medical Branch — wonderful jobs that offered an opportunity for service. I married my best friend and we have an amazing daughter. I have always worked; I believe in the nobility of work. I am grateful for my education and my life. We live in Galveston in a 115-year old home with our dogs, cats and chickens. Our town is ethnically diverse which is important to me. I am active in the community. At 67, I freelance and volunteer. I have a loving marriage and our daughter — truly a friend — and her partner live near by. I am distressed by the current political situation but in my personal life, I am happy and at peace.