I was in 4-H for several years when I was in my youth. I was in a group with my cousins. We were taught skills by the older boys - Scott and Duane, my sister Patty, my mother, and Aunt June. We learned home beautification and sewing from our mother's and photography from the boys. Although I liked them all, my favorite class was always sewing. I loved to sew! And it was the highlight of every year to model the dress I made in the 4-H Fashion Show.
My first experiences in sewing came from my mother. She had her mother's sewing machine... a Singer Treadle Machine.
Mom was patient in teaching me how to choose fabric, prepare it for sewing, alter the pattern, pin and cut it out correctly, and sew it into a beautiful finished garment. I learned to sew on the treadle machine. I remember placing the needle into the fabric to secure it... and then start the rocking motion of the foot on the treadle. If you have never had the rare opportunity to sew on a treadle machine, it is quite an exhilarating experience. The faster you could pump the treadle, the faster you could sew. I got really, really got at it. I started sewing when I was about 9 years old and I was still sewing on that machine when I was 17 years old.
I enrolled in Home Economic courses in school. The machines were pleasantly modern and I could sew quicker for obvious reasons. I must have made an impression on my teacher because she asked me if she could display my Prom dress in the window of the classroom for all to see. And of course, I was happy to let her!
I always had this secret desire to be the lady that helped young girls aspire in clothing construction and modeling. In the back of my mind I would become the county "Extension Agent". The lady in charge of 4-H. I had such a good experience and loved those years that it very much became a part of my life.
But my most important desire was to be a mother. My mother was always home with us children. She was the first person we saw when we came through the door after school. We would often come home to the smell of home baked bread, cinnamon rolls, or cookies. She taught me the skills necessary to be a good homemaker and mother. I truly desired that more than anything. So... being an Extension Agent would have to wait. I wanted to be a mother!
I did become a mother. I married my high school sweetheart 3 weeks after graduation. I became a mother 9 months later. We would add 5 children in all to our family. I loved being a mother. I stayed home with my little ones, just like my mother. I spent countless hours with my sisters, who were also young mothers. We had play time, put on parties, taught our children preschool and took them to the park. Mother was always there for us and became a steady nurturer in mothering. She was a wonderful grandmother. Life was just as I planned!
But then life changed. Choices were made, bliss turned to heartbreak and I found myself alone... raising 5 kiddos on my own. I had to make a choice. I could either curl up in a corner and cry the rest of my life, or I could pick myself up and go back to school to make a new future for the kids and I. It was back to school.
School was not easy to begin with, but as I started to exercise my brain I became more confident. Learning was both challenging and fun. I was persistent in meeting my goals to graduate with a B.S. degree. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to be an "Extension Agent" and put on Fashion Shows! Other career options entered my mind, but I always came back to Family and Consumer Science. I graduated 5 years after entering college for the first time. I had my B.S. Degree in Family and Consumer Science Education and a minor in Food and Nutrition Science. I didn't stop there. I pursued my path in "Extension". I was lucky to be hired as an "Extension Educator" without a Masters Degree. I began my career in Emery County and started my Master's courses. I was able to transfer back to Utah State University to finish my Master's Degree, while being the Family Housing "Extension Agent" on campus.
I never had the opportunity to be the lady that would do Fashion Shows. Those days were long over with. Getting grant money was driven by social programs, even in Extension. Although I was disappointed in the changes since the days of my youth, the work I was engaged in was very rewarding. My children were all in school at this time so it made going to work a little easier.
Programs that I was in charge of: The family housing gardens, Clover Buds after-school program for family housing students, International Wives club, the Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Old Main, and some 4-H projects. I became the first ever county director for the "Cache County Youth and Families At-Risk" program. I formed many boards and served on many community boards. I was involved in county fairs, which was very satisfying.
After I was finished with my Master's Degree, the only option was to re-locate to a county within the state. There was nothing available in Box Elder County and Extension sold out to "USU Housing". Hence, my life as an Extension Agent came to an end.
All in all, going back to school was one of the best decisions I ever made. I continue to use the things I learned in school and as an "Extension Educator" every day. I look back on my college days with fondness. And I value my experiences in work.
I did follow the dreams of my youth. I became a mother. I became an "Extension Agent". I had a desire to become and I have. I may not have made a career out of work... but I have made a career out of life as a mother and now as a grandmother. That is where my heart lies and where my true reward is.
That old treadle served us well didn't it. You did a good job pursuing your dreams.
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