|
|
| Richard's Guestbook Entries: |
| 9/1/2008: I have really enjoyed reading the various posts and personally catching up with a few of you. To reflect on my years following high school, I stayed in Allentown for another four years attending and graduating from Muhlenberg College in 1982. I spent a year at the dental school at Georgetown University, decided the curriculum wasn’t fulfilling my needs and the tuition and cost of living in Washington, DC would keep me in debt far longer than I was comfortable with. So I moved to Chapel Hill, NC and attended the dental school at the University of North Carolina where I graduated in 1987. I spent the next year doing a residency at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. So essentially I spent the first 10 years after high school continuing my education and don’t get me wrong it was worth it but it was a grueling decade having no life except as a student.
With my formal education finally behind me, I began practicing dentistry in Monroe, North Carolina and after about ten years, sold my practice and opened a new one in Charlotte, NC where I practice now. It took me a while but I found my niche. I love the location and interestingly enough, my practice is across the hall from my brother who is a dermatologist.
I married my soul mate, Amy, in 1992 and while her father had hoped she would marry a southern aristocrat, she got neither! Throughout the years of struggling to build a practice and some other tough times, Amy has been my rock – a beautiful one at that. She complements me in so many ways. She’s helped me to understand how not to sweat the small stuff and the importance of a balance in life. And without her, the spiritual element of my life would still be non-existent.
Amy and I have three children, Katie (15), Anna (13) and Richard (10). We are pretty much of an athletic family. Katie and Anna run cross country and do karate. Richard’s focus is entirely on soccer, essentially playing year round. We’re so blessed. They’re good kids, smart kids.
With things finally falling into place, I found the time to get back into athletics myself several years ago and now train for and do sprint distance and olympic distance triathlons. It requires training in at least one of the three disciplines (swimming, cycling and running) virtually every day but I really enjoy it. Again, another step in trying to achieve balance. Since Amy enjoys running, training for 5k’s and half marathons, it is also fun to occasionally train together.
So life is good… busy, but good. It is hard to believe that we’re all pushing 50. Life goes by so quickly. As for the reunion, because of family obligations, it is doubtful that I will be able to attend and if I do, it will likely be a last minute decision. I will hope for the best. In the meantime, I wish you all the very best in all things and I hope the next thirty years is even better than the previous thirty. Make it happen.
|
|
|
