A Mischievous Childhood, A Military Move, and Lessons Learned

    Growing up, I was far from perfect—just like any other kid. I had my moments of mischief and misbehavior, but there was one particular habit that set me apart: I was a thief. And what did I steal, you may ask? Candy. Yep, something as small as candy. It wasn’t anything major, but the principle of it was clear: if I kept going down this path, it could lead to trouble as an adult.


    As a kindergartener, I had a sneaky little routine. Our bathroom was located near the teacher’s desk, so I’d ask to use the bathroom, then secretly crawl my way into the teacher’s office and snatch candy from their stash. My dad caught wind of my sticky fingers and decided to take extreme measures to correct my behavior. He took me to the county jail to show me exactly where I would end up if I didn’t stop stealing. They put me in a cell alone (with my dad and an officer supervising), explaining how this could be my future if I kept it up.


    Unfortunately, that lesson didn’t sink in right away. Not long after, my dad received another phone call—yep, another candy theft. And I didn’t stop at school. I stole candy from my dad and my stepmom, too. My dad used to buy the 10-pack of gum, and I thought I could get away with stealing a small pack. But he was smarter than me—the packaging of the individual pack matched the one from the 10-pack, so when he found the missing gum, my lie quickly unraveled. That moment might have been the turning point. I realized my dad was too clever, and I would keep getting caught, so I finally put an end to my candy-stealing days.


    Of course, lying was another story. I can’t remember every fib I told, but I do recall hiding under my covers in high school, talking on my cell phone when I was supposed to be asleep. The moment my door opened, I’d quickly deny being on the phone to avoid getting it taken away. Another memorable deception? Skipping swim practice. My friends and I had a system—get our hair wet to make it look like we went to practice, then sneak off somewhere else. I don’t even remember where we went, but I know for certain it wasn’t the pool!


    Aside from the usual sibling fights, those were probably my biggest trouble-making moments. But then came a huge shift—my family moved from Ohio to Virginia in 2007 after I graduated high school. My dad’s military career brought us there, and while it was exciting, it was also a difficult adjustment. Leaving behind a good friend I had grown close to over two years was tough. It wasn’t just saying goodbye to a person—it was saying goodbye to a whole chapter of my life.


    Moving meant starting fresh, meeting new people, and building new experiences. It wasn’t easy, but every move comes with unexpected lessons. And speaking of lessons—childhood antics sure taught me a lot, too. From stolen candy to late-night phone calls, those moments shaped me into who I am today.


Stay tuned for the next blog post—because Virginia brought a whole new set of adventures!





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