Nanny Adventures

Today my mom is retiring after 23 (heck it could be 24 sorry) years of working in Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources.  She was there before Cultural Resources was added to the title :) 

This has been a long journey for her and my brother & I , she went back to college in the early 80s to NCSU to get a degree in Parks & Recreation.  She went back to school after/during my parent’s divorce while raising the two of us.  She graduated Magna Cum Laude.  I remember this because somewhere at home we have a picture of her, me, Thomas & my grandparents.  It is a great photo.  Yes she worked her tail off to get good grades, while Thomas & I did what we needed to do in school and the house. It kinda of all worked out for the best, since we are very successful in our careers & lives.

She was there when Jimmy V won the  NCAA tournament in 1983 over Houston.  Yes we went and painted our neighborhood red that night.  While she was at NCSU, my brother and I would sometimes go to the Student Union and hang out while she was in classes on our teacher workdays.  I remember one time, when I was sitting at this pac-man video game table….it was a flat two player one…and this very tall African American asked me if I wanted to play. I said sure.  We played the game..can’t remember who won. I later came to find out it was Lorenzo Charles who scored the winning dunk in that eventful 1984 NCAA win over Houston. 

My mom also helped with the North Carolina Senior Games that started in 1983. I guess since she is retiring now, she can begin her career with the Senior Games. Maybe there will be a shuffleboard deck in the carport when I come next. :)   I remember in like 1992 she asked my friend Katrina from WCU and myself to help out with the games.  It was a fun day of helping the Seniors. Katrina still works with seniors to this day in the Dept of Aging.

She has worked officially in only 3 Parks & Recreation depts: Benson NC, Apex NC & finally retiring from Morrisville NC.   I remember going to Benson, it was in the early years like 1984-1987.  She would commute daily for an hour each way to get there. Recently on facebook, I have become reacquainted with friends from when I was in Middle school when she worked in Benson. We have been sharing stories of how all the neighborhood kids would come to our house daily all summer.  Nothing bad ever happened, I think because everyone knew they would not be allowed to come back.  That house sure was fun back in the day.  Then in 1987 she got the job in Apex as Assistant Director. It was just her John, the director and Terry the secretary.  I practically grew up with John and Terry because of that job.  I am so thankful for that job, because otherwise I would not have gone to Apex High School , but somewhere that had a “smoking ring pit” for class breaks.  Benson is well known though for its Mule Days, we traded that for Apex’s Peak Week.

A few years ago she went to Morrisville to work with a fellow college friend. Little did she realize she would be co-workers with one of my friends from high school. Talk about strange!  It worked out great though.  She was also able to introduce my friend who moved to the Triangle area from DC to a guy and his wife that lived in the same area.   I never really was involved with Morrisville PR&CR as I have lived in the DC area since she took the job, but I do know that she has enjoyed with working the people of Morrisville and her co-workers.

Happy Retirement, Mom.  Don’t forget to sign up for Senior Game training and Silversneakers.