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BEGINNINGS: Conception: Late October
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BEGINNINGS: I'm a Germinal Zygote: Cell differentiation begins.
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BEGINNINGS: I'm an embryo: Brain and Spinal Column developing. I have webbed fingers and toes!
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BEGINNINGS I'm a fetus: All of my basic organs have formed and I continue to develop until birth.
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6 mos. old: I can sit up. I can grasp. I react to my surroundings. I make new noises.
BIOSOCIAL:
Gross motor skills develop and muscle tone and balance allow me to sit on my own.
Fine motor skills allow me to grasp objects.
Secondary Circular Reactions all me to resond to people and objects.
COGNITIVE
Making new sounds like squeals, croons, and vowel sounds begin.
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
Laughing loudly at new discoveries. I can get frustrated and angry, but rarely do. -
8 mos. old: I"m crawling.
BIOSOCIAL:
Gross Motor skills develp. I gain the body strength and coordination to crawl.
Secondary Circular Reactions allow me to adapt and anticipate. I react more to my surroundings.
I being making babbleing sounds with consonants and vowels.
COGNITIVE
I immitate my big brother. He plays with matchbox cars and I get the boxes to play with.
PSYCHOSOCIAL
Fear and stranger wariness begin around 9 mos. -
BIRTH
Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. Born at 6 pm in the hallway on the hottest day in August with the air conditioning out.
Born 3 weeks later than due date: 9.5 pounds.
BIOSOCIAL:
My Brain contains over 100 billion neurons. -
Home from the Hospital to Detroit
My early years were spent in Northwest Detroit. We lived right down the street from the Old Redford Theater. I was one of the only white kids in my neighborhood. I had a lot of friends of various ages and cultural backgrounds. We all played together on the block.. These early years formed cognitive development from social interaction and scaffolding learning from older members of the commnity. -
Parents discover a heart murmur.
Born with an unususal heart defect. I am sucessfully treated at U of M and wear what my parents call the tiniest hospital gown evern seen. -
18 mos. old: Naming Explosion
3 or more words learned per day. I say and do most everything my brother does. I mimmick him and the words he prounounces wrong, so do I. -
1st Birthday: Talking and Walking
BIOSOCIAL:
Tertiary Circular Reactions allow me to experiment: "little scientist" stage.
FIrst words. I wonder what they were?
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
I refuse to sleep in my crib. My parents give me my own full size matress and my own bedroom. Eventually I move into my brother's room this year because he sleeps better with me there.
Self-awarness begins. My dad and I begin my favorite game as a toddler. We look in the mirror and point and say "that's me and that's you" only we mix it up and giggle. -
2nd Birthday: Toilet Trained and drawing scribbles
BIOSOCIAL:
My brain is 75% of my adult size, my body is on 20% my adult size. Transient exuberance has grown a fivefold increase in dendrites and 100 trillion synapses. Pruning of unused neurons and dendrites begins.
I will use multi-word sentences. I can climb, run and draw lines and spirals.
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
Toielt training. I remember my father teaching me nursery rhymes while I sat on the toilet for what felt like forever. -
4 yrs old: ORAL SURGERY!
BIOSOCIAL:
My baby teeth are rotting (My parents let me drink Sprite!). I have oral surgery. I remember screaming in terror. Awful!
Psycosocial/Cognitive:
My parents implement my "Toothbrushing Chart". I get a sticker for every week I brushed my teeth everyday. -
DAD opens business: MEADOWBOOK VETERINARY CLINIC
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
Many of my early memories are from days spent in the Veterinary Clinic. I played and napped i the kennels, watched surgeries and sat on the front counter. I still find the smell of rubbing alcohol very relaxing. -
Period: to
Preschool: Sacred Heart Academy
COGNITIVE: Early Childhood Education
I got to go to school with my big brother. We commuted with several different families in the area. I remember being sent to the head nun for spilling legos. -
Big Brother is Diagnosed with Learning DIssability: Eventually understood as Dyslexia
COGNITIVE:
My brother has a severe dyslexia. I would read homework to him from the time I could read through high school together. I seemed strange to other people, but very normal to me.
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
My brother went on to be a National Science Foundation Young Scientist and earned his PhD in Physics. He currently teachers match and does research in computational physics as a professor at MSU. Never let a perceived disability hold you back. His mind works differently, not wrong. -
5 YRS. OLD: PIANO LESSONS
COGNITIVE and BIOSOCIAL: Piano and learning to read music takes hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. I rember the first song I learned at my first lesson.
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
Piano recitals evey year led to negtiating more group and peer dynamics and learning to control nerves in front of a crowd. -
Vaccines!
BIOSOCIAL:
My pediatritian did not believe in vaccines. I have to get them to go to public school. I remember the pokes. Ouch! -
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Novi Elementary School
COGNITIVE -
Family Moves from Detroit to Novi
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MOM begins her MFA at WAYNE STATE
COGNITIVE and PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT:
Through most of my childhood my mother was working on her master's degree in oil painting. She graduated when I was 11. It made for great sick days from school that were spent in an artist studio on Cass Ave. I have great chilhood memories of summer afternoons spent with my mom painting out in open fields. -
6 yrs. Old:
BIOSOCIAL
Gross motor skills improve. Center of gravity changes by 5 years old. Cartwheels, flipping, and jumprope daily on the playground. Begin playing teeball.
PSYCHOSOCIAL:
Member of strong group to friends, peers at school.
COGNITIVE
Artistic, reading, writing, math capabilities continue to increase. -
9 YEARS OLD: FIRST DOG: PETE the BLUE HEELER
My father is a veterinarian. We always had animals. At 9 I adopted my first blue heeler (now on my third).
COGNITIVE: Learned basics of animal training
PSYCHOSOCIAL: Showing independence, responsibiltiy, maturity. -
10 yrs. OLD: Sex Ed.
Biosocial, Psychosocial: My mom gives me her copy of "Our Bodies, Ourselves". I learn all there is to know about sex education and then some!
I have thoughts that I might be gay for the second time in my life. I'm worried and I keep it to myself for the next 8 years. -
Period: to
Middle School South and North.
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Turn 12 in Yellowstone National Park
Biosocial: Puberty is in full swing.
Cognitive: Still studing music outside of school.
Psychosocial: Forming my identity and choosing my motley crew of friends (a couple that I have still today). Feeling rebelious, my friends and I try smoking cigarettes together (a habit I pick up a few years from now and don't quit until I'm 30 - ugh!) -
Menarche
Biosocial: Age 12, months before my 13th birthday, first period. I thought it woudl never get here! -
Turn 13 in the Grand Canyon.
Biosocial: First cramps from period keep me in bed all day.
Cognitive: This year my parents and uncle by an RV together. We will take trips around the country every summer. Every vacation is planned around a national park and an art exhibit. Great education even if the price is spending a month with your family in a 15x6' living space.
Psycosocial: Middle school peer relations is hard on everyone. School is stressful. Still forming identity, we wear a lot of black. -
14 yrs. old: Seattle and Mr. Ranier
Biosocial: Playing sports in High School: softball and swimming, skii club evey week. Athletic ability is improving.
Cognitive: Travel, joining advanced English Classes. Still studying music.
Psychosocial: High school is much better than middle school socially. My brother and I are in school together and I make a lot of new friends. -
Period: to
High School
COGNITIVE -
15 ys. old
Biosocial/Psychosocial
I gain weight this year. Looking back, probably 15 pounds. I feel slow and self conscious. My body image is poor and my self esteem drops. Things get better next year... -
Turn 16 in Wales, UK
Biosocial: I'm through most of puberty's trials and feeling more comfortable in my own skin.
Cognitive: Travel to England and my mind is opened to travel in other countries.
Psychosocial: First love this year: first serious relationship with my first boyfirend, Bob. He is 21, a marine, picks me up on his motorcycle and my parents hate it. Perfect! In his defense, I lied about my age (ugh!) -
Orchestra!
Cognitive: I get serious about music and audition for and join the Michigan Youth Orchestra and the Detroit Civic Orchestra. My parents let me borrow the car to go to rehersals twice a week.
Psychosocial: I make many more friends outside of my school. One is my best friend until this day. I gain a lot of independence driving to Detroit every week. -
Turn 17 in Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Biosocial: Finally hit my final height: 5'8". My feet keep growing though - size 11 (eventually a size 13!). Big foot.
Cognitive/Psychosocial: Starting to apply to college and am really unsure. Start auditioning for music schools this year in the hopes of a scholarship and getting out of my parents house (what motivation to practice!) -
College Scholarships = Big decision
I get offers for scholarships to several schools I auditioned at! I hem and haw and choose U of M because I like the teacher and I know a few people there. Hooray, I can leave my parents house (but, not too far). -
Turn 18 in Vienna, Austria
Spent summer on tour with International Youth Orchestra.
Biosocial/Psychosocial: Learn to drink and smoke like a pro. Bad habits I hang on to for the next 15 years.
Cognitive: Studying german for 4 years in high school, I find that I can understand it and speck a little by the time we have been in Germany for a few weeks. -
Period: to
University of Michigan School of Music
COGNITIVE -
19 Yrs. Old: Cattle Dog number two: Jake. Break-up with boyfriend.
Biosocial: Now in college, lots of misplaced sex, drugs and alchol. Oh well.
Psychosocial: Bob and I are still together, but I'm starting to have serious doubts. At the end of the summer he wants to get married and I am no where near this developmentally. I leave him in a really immature way over the next year. I still feel bad about that.
Cognitive: I adopt my second cattle dog. I learn more about dogs. We take a lot of obedience classes and he is my best friend for the next 18 yrs. -
First Girlfirend.
Psychosocial: I struggle with my sexuality throughout the rest of college. I have two semi-serious relationships with women, but, keep dating men. It's not until I am around 21 that I finally have the confidence to declare myself gay and get into a serious relationship. -
Manhattan!
First trip to NYC without family. My first girfriend and I head to NYC for spring break. We discover all the gay bars and have a huge party. We stay a cheap motel in Harlem and no one cards us at the bars.
Psychosocial: Helps to form my sexual identity and establish my independence. -
21! Coming out of the closet!
Yes, I went to the bar. No, I don't remember all of it.
Psychosocial: This year I cam out to my family and parents. It did not go well. There were threats and tears. My how times have changed! Culture has changed it's views on homosexuality and thankfully so have my parents. Family relations are strained over the next several years.
Biosocial: Swimming a mile a day I am in the best shape of my life. -
College Drop Out
I start college my junior year and things are not going well. My music teacher has left, my girlfriend and I broke up, I lost my top chair in the orchestra. I am working full time at a restaurant at night to cover bills. I am burt out, I'm confused and tired and depressed. I drop all of my classes.
Psychosocial: This is a breaking point for me and a turning point. I will finish college, but I will take my life into my own hands and be less to follow a perscibed path from here forward. -
Backpacking: Smokey Mountains
Psychosocial: Join friends in a backcountry backpacking trip. Gain independence and feel more secure in who I am, what I believe and what I like. -
Broken Bones and Knee surgery
Biosocial: First surgery. Broke my patella while running to thrid base on a pick up game. End of running, end of downhil skiing, start of lots of swimming and a long recovery. -
ITALY!
Psychoscocail:
Family trip to Italy with my parents, brother and his fiancee. (Notice my girlfriend was not invited). Family relations are still strained and the trip does not help, but I get to see ITALY! -
Colorado: Winter Camping in Estes Park
Cognitive/Psychosocial: Continue to travel and gain new experiences on my own. My girlfriend and I make a camping trip out west to Colorado and down into Sante Fe. My idenity is well formed by now. I feel I know who I am and what I like. -
Start working at Motawi Tileworks
While I was working serveral jobs in college and temp agencies, this is my first full time job that I wanted. I minored in ceramics in college. Worked here for three years and loved it.
Cognitive: Learned to press, glaze and fire ceramic tile. Promoted to management. First time manging others (outside of the orchestra). -
Paternal Grandfather dies
Psychosocial: His death hit me hard. It was not prepared. -
Solo Travel: Rail Pass
Psychosocial/Cognitive: I saved money and bought a USA rail pass from Amtrak. I pack a backpack and make careful plands to travel the US from hostel to hostel. I see the entire west coast and some of the southwest. I return with gained independence and confidence. -
Long and Bad Relationship (2000-2006)
Psychosocial: Entered a long term relationship with April. We moved in together almost immediately and stuggled and fought over the next six years. It was a very up and down and unhealthy time, but I grew and learned a lot about relationships. -
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Early Adulthood: Moved out of state: Oakland, CA
My then girlfriend and I moved to Oakland, Ca for 3 years for her to attend grad school. I worked at Lucasfilm as an art courier for George Lucas.
Psychosocial: Early adulthood: as Beger says "Relationship problems are more common in early adult-hood". WE cohabitated and failed. I did not have much support from my family. They never paid for me after 18 and emotionally they dissaproved of my sexuality. This was a hard stage of development, but it solidified many of my strong opinions. -
Maternal Grandmother dies
Psychosocial: I fell into a large depression. This grandmother was my soulmate. I had just left the state when she had her stroke and I as unable to care for her. In fact, she died just as I was flying home to see her. Three years from now I will return to her farm to live and grieve. -
Moved back to Michigan
Returned to Michigan, broke off bad relationship and lived on my grandparents farm for six months.
Psychosocial: This was a healing and regrouping time for me. I was 30 and felt I needed to start over. -
University of Michigan - again
I began working at the U of M Graduate library and would work my way up here to the top of the department over the next 6 years. Eventually I manage 10 people and over 30 students.
Psychosocial: I am in full adulthood now in my 30s. I develop deep friendships with my colleagues and staff. I find management suits me and get along well. I dislike the job and upper management, but stay for the health insurance. -
Period: to
Work: University of Michigan Libraries
Cognitive: Learn trade of Interlibrary Loan, develope sloves for many of the software and work process problems.
Psychosocial: Further leadership skills as manger of 4 departments. -
Becky and I get together: finally!
My friend of 10 years and I decide to give it a try and here we are together 5 years later.
Psychosocial: I finally feel positive and secure in an adult relationship. -
Liver Tumors
Biosocial: I have had pain for years and the doctors I have seen had found nothing and brushed me off. During a CT scan they discover a few liver tumors, one that concerns them. Before I know it I am meeting with a surgeon. Over the next four years I undergo an MRI every six months in a watch and wait approach. I'm happy to say they have finally declared me okay to go. So here I go. -
Engaged!
I propose and Becky and I are engaged with rings and all. We plan on getting married within the next year, hopefully Michigan will get its act together soon. If not, she is British and we would love to get married in England. -
Red Cross Certifed Nurse Assistant
Cognitive: Career Change. Lots of new information and new skills. -
Period: to
Schoolcraft Community College
Cognitive: Back to school. Along with the career change comes lots of prerequisites. Anatomy and Physicology, Organic Chemistry, Developmental Psychology! Learning, learning, learning.
Psychosocial: Who cares if I'm old. I've lost the self consciousness that kept me from going back to school sooner. Oh, I still care, but not enough to stop myself. -
Wedding certificate and meeting Sperm Donor all in one!
Awaiting gay marriage to leagalize in Michigan, we get married in Montery, CA with our California friends this summer.
Psychosocial: Having a marriage certificate may change our relationship a bit. It will be interesting to see what/if any differences we see once we are no longer cohabitators. Biosocial: I wll meet our sperm donor, Becky's best friend for the first time. Becky and I will sart trying to conceive our first baby- exciting. Future XY chromosomes will arrive via FedEx! -
Becky's Pregnant!!
Assuming all goes according to plan!
BIosocial: A happy and healthy pregnancy. Parenthood will be a huge biosocial, cognitive, psychosocial undertaking. We will watch the developmental stages of our own child. Exciting! -
Period: to
GRAD School: Physician Assistant
Cognitive: Complete masters degree in PA studies at Wayne State. -
Baby is born!
Biosocial: Becky gives birth to our first baby.
Cognitive and Psycosocial: I am starting school and will be studying with a baby in one hand. Luckily I have a secret wepon: Becky is a professional child developent expert and has been a preschool teacher and nanny for a dozen years. Woo! Free daycare and an expert co-parent! Lucky me! -
Our Baby turns 2 and we move to Kalamazoo!
The ultimate goal of turning 40, changing careers and starting a family is to be able to support us all when we move back to my great-granparents farm!
Psychosocial: We love the city and will miss Detroit, but Becky and I are both country girls at heart. The family farm has deep family memories and a huge emotional connection for me. We will raise our family here and run a hobby farm. We will find an active community to be involved in and stay close with our friends and family. -
Our child begins school and B. Starts her own business
Psychosocial/Cognitive: Becky will start her own preschool on the farm. I will continue to work on my sculpture part time. -
Our Kid is graduating from High School
Psychosocial: Thank god - no more PTA meetings or parent-teacher conferences.
Cognitive/Psychosocial: Our child is off to college and I am an ripe old 56 years old and well established at my career. We are now empty nesters and decide we miss the city. We seal up the farmhouse and move to New York for the next 5 years. -
Our Kid is Graduating College
I am feeling old at 62 with our child graduating college my nephews starting families of their own:
Elliot will be 32 and Noah will be 28!!
Becky and I are homesick and return to Detroit. I get a job at Sinai-Grace where my grandmother worked. I will retire from here several years from now. -
70th Birthday
I retire this year and we downsize to a condo. We do a lot of traveling over the next decade. As much as possible. Our 1st grandchild will be born soon. -
80th birthday
Retiring back on the farm. Becky and I move back to Kalamazoo for retirement. I still manage the orchard with hired help and run a kitchen garden just like my grandparents did into their 90s.
Cognitive: My long term memory is still strong even if shrot-term is not as strong. Emotional restraint, controlled by the prefrontal cortex, decreses. Feeling, reactions and memories are more vivd. I rarely hold my tounge anymore and I enjoy it! -
Death
Using the prediction calculator, I die at 95 preferably at the farm in my own bed. I will have a quick burial. No embalming, no coffin. I will be wrapped in my great-grandmother;s quilt. I'm not picky about the cemetary. Short service at the Congregational down the street where my grandmother played piano and directed the choir. Coffee hour afterwords in the basement of the church. End of story.