One of the aspects of long distance drives I love is the opportunity to think/talk to myself uninterrupted for a nice long stretch. In between belting out (badly) my favorite tuneage, I also spend a fair amount of time chewing on issues that I usually don't have the time to worry/reason through in my day to day life. It is totally nerdy of me, but good emotional outlet.
Since this long distance drive was to visit the Old People, I spent a lot of time reflecting on the life I've had with them.
Several years ago, I heard a report about a study of successful African-American women. The researchers had a broad definition of "success" and had conducted extensive interviews with many women from many walks of life and back grounds. The one common denominator they found was that the women who were "successful" all could point to at least one adult in their lives, as they were growing up, they knew loved them unconditionally.
Unconditional love. The one factor that was the difference between achieving one's life goals and not.
Despite my tough days in the lab, and the tense period after my escape, I've been pretty sheltered all my life. I can thank the Old People for that. I've been given opportunities and advantages, and largely, I can thank the Old People for that too. I remember, shortly after they took me in, the president was shot. The Old Woman told me, "Even if you shot the president, we would still love you. We might not pay for your attorney, but we would still love you."
Even today, as I pretend to be a fully functioning human in the world, I rely on their unconditional love. It has made all the difference. And, because of their love, I'm able to love and be loved by others. So, ya'll have them to thank too.
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