My "WHY"

I grew up in Belleville, NJ, home of Cherry Blossoms and Italian bakeries, and the daughter of Emil and Esulina. Kitchen table with Mom and Dad was my jam.  Listening to stories, hearing about family saints and hoodlums.  Did the same at my grandparent's kitchen table. They barely spoke English, but I picked up on the warmth, love, and laughter (and inappropriate hand gestures). But time passes quickly, and our memory can fade.  More on that later.

I'll fast forward thru my credentials. I graduated at the top of my class in high school with dreams of being a journalist. Nope.  Became an Accountant.  Seemed safer. Besides, I have no sense of direction.  Journalists should probably know where they are when they report a story.  Went to work at Prudential in Roseland reporting on mutual funds. Wild. Had Baby #1. Went to work at Prudential in Holmdel working Reinsurance. Thrilling. Had Baby #2.  Should I get my Masters? Ok. Graduated from Master's Education Program with a Certification in Education, K-8.  Did Student Teaching in Rumson and coached their Pop Warner cheerleading squad. Go Team. Tutored. Who am I? Is this where I should be? Nope. Back to Finance. Hired as a contractor by Lockheed Martin at Fort Monmouth. Oh no, Base Realignment and Closure! Transferred to Lakehurst Naval Base.

Okay, now you're caught up. Back to my why.

I remember the themes of the stories I heard, but the details are fuzzy now.  Let’s use my dad as an example. 

My father was a Navy Tail Gunner in World War II, the big one.  Aboard the first patrol bomber to land in Tokyo Bay on August 14, 1945, the next day the Peace Treaty with Japan was signed aboard the U.S.S Missouri.  Dad received the Distinguished Service Medal for his meritorious service in air combat.  Pretty cool, right? He served proudly. Now I remember these bullets of information, but I wish I remembered more.  I wish I had written notes and asked questions, because it was history, and not just mine. My daughters Veronica and Victoria were 21 and 15, respectively, when he passed and now, we look thru old war memorabilia and have unanswered questions.  Victoria herself became involved with The Veterans History Project, via the Library of Congress, as a direct result of this patchwork of questions we have today about his service. She has interviewed countless veterans in an effort to capture their stories, and I watched as she consumed their history lessons and grew in compassion and understanding. I saw how it built character, empathy, and understanding 

So now capturing stories in my jam.  Giving amazing humans a stage to tell their stories and have them memorialized is what drives me.  Because that's the least I can do. 

Also, I've done a few things:

Contributing Author, “Take Me With You”, Celebrating the Stories, Lessons & Wisdom of The Mothers Who Shaped Our Lives  

Freelance Writer for Jersey Shore Magazine

M.A Teaching Certification, Monmouth University

B.S. Accounting Degree, Montclair State College