Calgary '88

Birthdays were never a big deal in my house we never really celebrated them. It didn't matter if it was a big birthday or a little birthday it wasn't a big deal. We usually got a card and sometimes a cake...since my brother's birthday was one week after mine we usually shared a cake. We my 18th birthday was no different than any other, it was 1988 and I was 18 big deal.

It wasn't my best year, I was in grade 12 and struggling to make it through, which I didn't do and a few months after my 18th birthday I pull out of school all together. Since I missed so much school my friends stopped including me in things and I started feeling I had lost my place in the world. So 18 was a rough year for me, not my first and definetely not my last but a rough one.

Although 18 wasn't a good year for me, 1988 was a good year for Alberta...the Olympics came to Calgary. Since the school board knew that most kids would be skipping to attend the events only an hour away they gave us the week off of school. My birthday was three days prior to the opening ceremonies, so I got a special birthday vacation :) We didn't actually go to the Olypmics, not enough money and my parents weren't really sports fans but it was great knowing they were so close by. A few of my classmates and friends went to some of the events and I am sure it was quite the experience.

The coolest part of this whole experience was running with the torch. Two of my church friends Karen and Julie (they were sisters) were able to run with the torch run. They ran about 3 hours from where we lived and we all drove down to watch them and run a bit with them. What an experience!! In 2010 the Olympics are coming to Vancouver, British Columbia and the torch is running through our town, my daughter Ariel's name is on the list and we are hoping she gets chosen to run with the torch...an experience she will never forget :)