Each week, you must complete and submit the assignment and then respond to two of your classmates' posts. Your comment/response must be of substantive quality (Not "Interesting," "I did not know that," or similar such "empty" comments) AND they must be unique to any posts previously posted by someone else. Thus, the "early bird" will have the easiest time.
Your first assignment - which is due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday is to post an autobiography (minimum of 20 sentences in length). It should contain basic biographical information (name, birthdate, birth place) and interesting trivia (interests, accomplishments, aspirations). You must then respond to two of your classmates' posts.
Additionally this week, as practice, you must respond to my autobiography below. I will look at your responses to my post and tell you if they are acceptable. Remember, you cannot repeat comments previously made by other students. Good luck.
Born on September 12, 1961, in Wilmington, North Carolina, I
was the third child of James Martin and Christene McKim Hebbe. The name given to me was in honor of my two grandmothers, Helen and Elizabeth. My older
siblings, Kristen Allen and James Martin Jr., were four and two at the time of
my arrival thus I was thrust in to a chaotic and busy household. My earliest
memories are those of a tom-boy who enjoyed sports and playing with Hot Wheels
and GI Joe much more than Barbie and an Easy Bake Oven.
My idyllic middle-class childhood came to a halt on July 24,
1969, on the sands of Wrightsville Beach. Ignoring my mother’s directives, my
brother and I, along with my cousins, Johnny (11) and David (9) McKim, ventured
out to play on a lifeguard stand. Though there were no true indicators of an
approaching storm, a rogue bolt of lightning struck the lifeguard tower as we
were ascending the ladder. Johnny was killed instantly and Jimmy succumbed to
his injuries a few short hours later. David and I miraculously survived
relatively unscathed physically. Psychologically, of course, I still bear the
scars of that fateful day.
My teen-aged years were relatively uneventful. A competitive
equestrian, avid tennis player, and A student, I attended John T. Hoggard High
School where I immersed myself in extracurricular activities such as yearbook,
student government, and Young Life. In hindsight, my need to constantly be
“busy” was probably an attempt to not deal with the traumatic and lingering
effects of my brother’s death.
In August 1979, I joined my sister at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. My four years as a Tar Heel are some of my happiest
most likely because my focus was on my social education rather than my
academic one! Despite my poor study habits, seven majors, and money often spent
on Franklin Street rather than in the book store, I graduated in four years
with a degree in Political Science. My original intention was to attend law school; however, I
opted, instead, to marry my college sweetheart, Thomas N. Tedder II. Our
wedding took place on Dec. 31, 1983.
Tommy and I settled in Shelby where he worked for his
family’s car dealership and I was a reporter at the local newspaper. In 1987, I
resigned my position anticipating the birth of our first child. Sadly, our
daughter, Ellison, was stillborn on January 6, 1988. My world was atilt until
the arrival of Graydon Thomas Tedder on Jan. 29, 1989, and James Whitaker
Tedder, on Dec. 19, 1990. The next fourteen years are a happy blur of being a
stay-at-home mom, community volunteer, and basically “kept” wife.
I was blindsided in March 2005, when I learned
information that necessitated that I end my marriage. Thus, I found myself at 44, the
mother of two teen-aged sons with no car (married to a car dealer), no job, and
as a lawyer friend bluntly told me “no marketable skills.” Fortunately, a dear
friend and former principal of my sons hired me as a fourth grade teaching
assistant at Marion Intermediate School. My cousin, Dr. Mary Beth McKim Corbin,
much to my advantage, is the Director of Student Services at East Carolina
University, and she facilitated my entry in to a teaching licensure program.
Dr. Anita Ware hired me as English Teacher in 2010; thus, here I am.
My sons, who are my greatest accomplishment, are both
students at the University of South Carolina. Gray was a member of the Gamecock
swim team but had to fore go his last year of athletic eligibility due to shoulder
surgery and unsuccessful rehabilitation. An economics major, he will graduate
in May, and aspires to be a collegiate swimming coach. He currently works as an
assistant coach with Carolina Aquatics Swim Club. Gray is my absent-minded
professor with an affinity for conversation and empathy Whit, 21, is a
religious studies major who serves as a Young Life leader at A.C. Flora High
School in Columbia. An avid guitarist, he is contemplating attending seminary after
graduation and aspires to be a musician or Young Life staff member. He is my
quirky, opinionated intellect.
There you have it – my life to this point. Lessons I have
learned along the way have been many. Ultimately, I believe that in life, one
must make the best of the circumstances they find themselves in and must rely
on the love of friends and family to buoy them. It is necessary to realize that
oft times there are people who will always remain in our
hearts but who we must not allow to remain in our lives. The biggest act of courage is often as
simple as getting out of bed in the morning and facing another day.
