Things are rapidly changing in the Richard household as 1977 comes to a close. And 1978 won't be any calmer. We know my parents moved into their house on Foxglove Place back in the early 1970s and they probably knew by December 1977 that they would be moving out soon. It would be a few short months into the new year when they sell the house and move across the country.
The end of 1977, and into 1978, was not only the end of the young couple's time in California, but would also begin to be the end of their marriage. And this is where I need to set expectations and boundaries.
Historical Perspective
As a child of divorced parents, it was all I ever knew. My parents were divorced but they still remained friends with each other. It was never a "big deal" for me to have parents living in two different houses, two different states, or even two different time zones. It was just life. It wasn't until I got older that I realized I was one of the few kids lucky enough to have parents strong enough to survive a divorce but to also remain friends over the years. Even now, nearly 40 years later, they talk. It really is amazing how they put aside their issues, their problems with each other, and focused on me and doing what they felt was the best thing they could to give me the best life they could. It really is a huge sacrifice and I can't thank them enough for making it.
Boundaries
Because both of my parents are alive and because they are both active in my life and because I want to respect their privacy, I will be heavily redacting anything involving the divorce. I am often warned against over-sharing personal parts of my life but I find personal stories, especially my own history, amazingly educational and entertaining. As I've said before, everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. But by telling my story, especially at this stage of my life, I get into the stories of others. Personal stories. Emotional stories. Heartbreaking stories. I've read stuff that's made me cry. I've seen stuff that's made me laugh. But in the end, even though it's part of history, there needs to be some privacy involved. So I'll be keeping a lot of the divorce-related stories private. Not to prevent my readers from reading about it, not to hide history, not to show a facade of happiness, but to ensure my parents and I have a personal life that remains personal.
Expectations
As a reader, I expect you to understand that you may not be reading the whole story. I've redacted certain parts of my posts already but nothing major has been kept from the audience. But as we get into more difficult times ahead, more and more will be hidden or just not shared. Expect more happier posts and material but also realize this isn't because I am trying to force positivity into the narrative but rather because I am purposefully hiding the rest of the story from you. And as you've read already, I have my reasons. So when things feel all happy, realize that there's more emotion that's unseen in the background.
Conclusion
I'm putting this out there now because December 1977 is a slow month as far as my research material is concerned. It's also a good point in the story to bring up the upcoming changes that are happening. I know I've talked about my parent's divorce before on this blog and in other places, but I felt the need to bring it up again in this storyline for those new to my story.
The end of 1977, and into 1978, was not only the end of the young couple's time in California, but would also begin to be the end of their marriage. And this is where I need to set expectations and boundaries.
Historical Perspective
As a child of divorced parents, it was all I ever knew. My parents were divorced but they still remained friends with each other. It was never a "big deal" for me to have parents living in two different houses, two different states, or even two different time zones. It was just life. It wasn't until I got older that I realized I was one of the few kids lucky enough to have parents strong enough to survive a divorce but to also remain friends over the years. Even now, nearly 40 years later, they talk. It really is amazing how they put aside their issues, their problems with each other, and focused on me and doing what they felt was the best thing they could to give me the best life they could. It really is a huge sacrifice and I can't thank them enough for making it.
Boundaries
Because both of my parents are alive and because they are both active in my life and because I want to respect their privacy, I will be heavily redacting anything involving the divorce. I am often warned against over-sharing personal parts of my life but I find personal stories, especially my own history, amazingly educational and entertaining. As I've said before, everyone has a story and it deserves to be told. But by telling my story, especially at this stage of my life, I get into the stories of others. Personal stories. Emotional stories. Heartbreaking stories. I've read stuff that's made me cry. I've seen stuff that's made me laugh. But in the end, even though it's part of history, there needs to be some privacy involved. So I'll be keeping a lot of the divorce-related stories private. Not to prevent my readers from reading about it, not to hide history, not to show a facade of happiness, but to ensure my parents and I have a personal life that remains personal.
Expectations
As a reader, I expect you to understand that you may not be reading the whole story. I've redacted certain parts of my posts already but nothing major has been kept from the audience. But as we get into more difficult times ahead, more and more will be hidden or just not shared. Expect more happier posts and material but also realize this isn't because I am trying to force positivity into the narrative but rather because I am purposefully hiding the rest of the story from you. And as you've read already, I have my reasons. So when things feel all happy, realize that there's more emotion that's unseen in the background.
Conclusion
I'm putting this out there now because December 1977 is a slow month as far as my research material is concerned. It's also a good point in the story to bring up the upcoming changes that are happening. I know I've talked about my parent's divorce before on this blog and in other places, but I felt the need to bring it up again in this storyline for those new to my story.
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