It's hard to be me...

Strong opinions run in the Thayne family. If you ask me my opinion on almost any subject I will probably have one. Growing up in Orem with four older and often menacing brothers, a strong-willed father, and an ever-even mother I learned early on to stick up for myself.  I learned to argue and defend and fight. Dinner-time at our house was loud. Words like shut-up, idiot, stupid, and worse were passed around with the salt and pepper shakers. Mom withstood all this with good humor. Dad just spoke louder and told us to be quiet.

At school I argued with the teachers. I talked out of turn. In 5th grade a teacher bribed me with a pop at the end of the day if I could stop talking. I put a piece of tape over my mouth to remind me and at the end of the day he took me in the faculty room and bought me a pop. That was one of the proudest moments of my life. In 6th grade I got sent out in the hall for talking. I had to sit amongst the coats until someone came for me. In 7th grade I argued with a history teacher when he said the Ku-Klux-Klan did some good things. In 8th grade I got sent to the office for being obstinate. In tenth grade I got sent to the office for wearing jeans. Yes, if you are younger than me you will find this hard to believe. In 11th grade I loved all my teachers and got along well. In 12th grade I took three hours of art each day, fell in love with pottery, but got in trouble for lying to the teacher and staying until midnight to throw pots after he'd gone home.

I'd like to say that I've improved a lot. And I have, I don't argue much with authority figures, but I feel like it. I keep quiet when I'd like to speak up. People have told me they admire my honesty. An ex-bishop said, he's never known anyone so brutally honest. If only he knew how much I keep to myself. My dad was sick with terminal cancer when he met my then future husband. And he said to Mick, "Just remember one thing and you'll get along fine. Carole is always right."  If only everyone else knew that . . .