Li'l Tex brought me home!
The Texas Story Project.
After having grown up in Michigan, I lived with my older brother, at Fort Hood, Texas, where I was a counselor to the Army for a few months until he resigned his commission and the family moved back to Michigan.
Then, in the 1970's I bought my first home...in Michigan, where I expected to live out my life, and on a date at a restaurant/art gallery, my date brought me a picture (that I just couldn't take my eyes off!) of a little boy with his face to the water and back to the camera.
Several months later, I met and married an American-trained Afghan jet pilot trainer who didn't like cold weather, so I got a promotion to Houston, Texas. We moved here and I thought I would become a Texan! After my son was born, and I was divorced, my infant son and I returned to Michigan, where I spent many years working and raising him, and got cancer, but didn't die.
When I resigned from 8 years of working for the State of Michigan, I was seeking treatment in Texas and was offered a federal men's prison job as an instructor/ translator in North Carolina. But 8 years later, I broke both kneecaps, so resigned, and followed my son to California. When he got married, his wife was offered a great job in Austin, Texas, so "Li'l Tex" and his wife moved back here. Then, a few years later, the cancer returned, but it did not kill me again, so he persuaded me to move to Austin too and now it's once again likely I'll be a Texan for the rest of my days!
I've just moved back, but have already been to Houston, Galveston, and Pflugerville, so I'm feeling like a Texan again, but I am looking for my last job here, too! Over the years I have earned several degrees and worked most of my life, so I'm hopeful I'll get a chance to resume my career here, and contribute to my "home" state of Texas once again!
Susan (nee Thygerson) Aktary is a former Spanish and ESL/ bilingual teacher, counselor, HR analyst, college administrator and faculty member, employment interviewer, single parent, performer, trainer, educator, state consultant, composer, entrepreneur and journalist who has returned to live in Texas for the third time because she loves "Li'l Tex" and Texas!
Posted July 07, 2022
