Kerry Kendall

From a wonderful public school system in Shelton, Connecticut, I learned how to work hard and explore all that interests me. It's been quite a ride so far. I never thought I'd go through so many changes internally as well as externally.

My careers have taken me to California, New York, Mississippi and Connecticut. My retirement has placed me in Florida. And in every place there were changes. Lots of changes.

After graduating from Southern Connecticut State College in 1981, I wanted to hit the road. But I was afraid to go anywhere without an income, so I applied for jobs all over the country. I took the first one I was offered. It was in Bakersfield, California, just 3,000 miles away from home. I was going to be the weekend sportscaster and midweek news and sports reporter for KERO TV23. I also had to shoot my own video. You know, set up the camera on a tripod and walk in front of it and do a stand up. It was a humbling experience for someone intent on making it in NYC someday. Of course, looking back, it was the best experience I could have asked for.

I accepted that female sportscaster identity and went on from there. Syracuse, Jackson and Hartford. By the time I realized the young athletes I was interviewing could buy and sell this 30-year old girl, I was done. I felt the need to contribute more than a spot on the 6 o'clock news. My teachers always said I should become a teacher. So I did.

The teaching years were very rewarding. I developed an award-winning television production program in two high schools and plenty of my students have gone on to show biz careers in New York and Los Angeles. Their work has been entered at Cannes and Sundance. One of them is going to be my ticket to the Oscars some day.

And then along came "David." I got married at age 37 and thought, at that age, there would be no life-altering surprises. Wrong. The venting that I needed to do led me back to writing. Well, first it led me to a psychiatrist and a new appreciation for red wine, and then back to writing.

I used to enjoy the writing and rewriting in my high school and college journalism classes. I enjoyed editing the school newspaper and yearbook. I just didn't like the black newsprint getting on my hands and t.v. paid better, so I got off track.

When my much-older husband decided we should retire and move to Florida, I was reluctant to leave a good teaching job with a great salary. He convinced me we could do it and that gave me the opportunity to spend my time at a computer keyboard without the messy black ink of my Underwood typewriter.

Now I look for things to write about. I especially like to write about people with interesting lives, like I did when I was a reporter. In addition to working with the Not Dead Yet Girls and spreading our mature wisdom, I'm looking for the subject of my next book. Until then, hubby and I are the human slaves to Spike Dog, Eddie Munster Cat and Zeke Cat. And that's truly the best job I can imagine.

Read more on my author's website: www.kerrykendall.com