FABULOUS JOURNEY

Our memoirs went off to the publisher this afternoon via electronic transmission—all 300 pages! The introduction that follows will give you some idea of the content. If all goes well we should have the books available in about two months! It is a great relief to have a product after three and one-half years (with some major breaks, of course) of work.

INTRODUCTION

    Our goal in writing this treasure trove of memories was to describe and interpret our experiences at each life stage, while reflecting on the meaning of our heritage as well as major events in our lives. We were also interested in revisiting and examining decisions that have enabled us to pursue our aspirations, focusing as well on our philosophies, values, successes, and occasional failures.

We have organized the chapters sequentially from our births in1934 (we were born in the same year and same month!), followed by narratives describing our childhood, education, professional experiences, and retirement. Each chapter covers a specific time period, and includes two distinct sections (Bill's/Marie's)—until we were married in 1973. The personal and family side of each chapter is jointly written, although each of us describes and interprets our separate family and professional experiences. After retirement each chapter was a joint effort.

Although we grew up at near opposite ends of the country (North Dakota and Georgia), we had remarkably similar childhood experiences. We each lived on small farms, went to relatively small rural elementary and secondary schools, did well in our classes and in school activities, and graduated from high school with honors. Although we followed quite different paths immediately after high school, we both eventually achieved doctoral degrees and became college professors. We were each the first in our families to achieve university degrees.

    We are both especially proud of our education. We liked to learn from the very beginning of our lives, and wanted to have the formal education that would provide a satisfying lifestyle, professional achievement, and a good income. We both aspired to college while in high school. However, Marie was not able to realize that goal immediately, as Bill did. Instead she got married, had three children, worked, and went to college intermittently until somewhat later in life, when she was able to complete her undergraduate degree, master's degree, and Ph.D. She started her first full-time college teaching job at age 36. Bill went directly to college, completing his undergraduate degree in four years. After one year as an exchange student, and two years in the army (during which he got married and had a first child), he completed his master's and Ph.D. before taking a full-time university teaching job at age 28.

    A chance encounter in Grand Teton National Park when we were both 37 had a profound consequence. We discovered many common interests and found ourselves immensely attracted to each other, eventually concluding that we wanted to redirect our lives so that we could be together. We moved to the State of Washington where we were married in 1973, eventually had jobs at two neighboring universities, and have happily collaborated since then on innumerable personal and academic endeavors.

    Our common interests have generated a storehouse of wonderful experiences, including co-authorship of six books. We have also published dozens of articles together, have traveled to most states in this country on personal and professional trips (often tent-camping in the early years, and later traveling in one of five recreational vehicles), and have temporarily lived, and taught university classes, in six countries of Asia and Europe. Many of our trips have been to visit one or more of our five children and their families, scattered across four northern states from Washington to Ohio.

Our first visit to Tucson was in July, 1987, when we were initially impressed with the area as a potentially interesting place to visit during the winter, because it was so hot in the summer! We enjoyed several winters here sufficiently that we finally adopted it as our permanent and satisfying home, after learning to adjust to summer heat!

 

Since full retirement in 1999, we have continued to enjoy mobile and stimulating lives, traveling much of each year by motorhome, while writing books. Preparing these memoirs has enabled us to think deeply about the interesting and exciting details of our journey through life. Most of the trek has been exceedingly rewarding and satisfying. We are genuinely pleased with our lifestyle, and feel that we have achieved most of our life goals. Now, at age 74, we have every intention of continuing to pursue active and productive lives as long as we can continue to navigate!