Susan Smith

There is a lot I wrote over 20 years ago that is still pretty true, so I'll leave all that in paragraphs toward the end of this updated story of my life and I'll just add the new stimulating tidbits that I'm sure you've been holding your breaths to review!

It seems pretty unbelievable that I haven't seen any of you for two decades so I've decided to try to meet up with you in a couple of weeks at the 60th reunion. How in the world has it been 60 years?! Please don't consider me totally rude if I just sit down and hope you come to introduce yourself to me. I have a bad, basically unfixable back and it only really hurts when I stand or walk, so I get an Olympic medal for just sitting around. No pity party ..it's just my version of aging! Come sit with me! I'm just grateful that my brain still works.

I'm definitely not as smart or wise as many (or most) of you who retired at an earlier age, but now, at 78, I've finally just retired except for a piece of one client. After 44 wonderful years of being a lobbyist in Olympia, WA I finally decided I had probably talked for a living just long enough and the Legislature could get along just fine without me. I was a bit terrified about how much I might miss the place (e.g. some amazing people) and I feared my brain would turn to mush if I wasn't strategizing about how to make the world a better place. But I think I've found my niche and I'm easing into a life that allows me to read all the hot political news for a few hours in the morning, knit when I feel like it, play around with all my hoarded art supplies, and enjoy my two Siberian cats. Bottom line, however, I'm honestly glad I didn't retire earlier. Go figure!

(I recently read every note that many of you wrote in my yearbook VERY FUN and I guess I was supposed to turn out to be a writer. I sort of did that for awhile and found all my journalism/writing education to be very helpful in my lobbying job, but when I write things like this, I don't have to count words or be precise, so just skip ahead if you want the short headlines!)

I am now a widow, Mike having passed away in 2019. I find myself quite content to lead a quiet life in my comfortable home, sprinkled with getting together with several groups of long-time friends. Sometimes I wonder how I got everything done when I was working full-time, since I find myself super busy every day with my many interests and hobbies. I love reading, knitting, cross stitching, and doing art of all kinds. And yes, I'm also kind of a social media junkie... frustrating at times but kind of a fun way to stay in touch with new and old friends!

Now to the important stuff - kids and grandkids.

My 3 girls (Jennifer 52, Heather 46, and Laura, 38) are wonderful, successful, and interesting joys. Jennifer is a high school teacher in Bonney Lake, WA. Heather teaches nursing at Oregon Health and Science University in Ashland, Oregon, and Laura is director of aquaculture and legislation for the WA. Department of Agriculture. Six amazing grandchildren ---Claire (21) and Carson (19) with Jennifer; Oscar and Acacia (10) Heather's twins; and Bo (5) and August (3) with Laura. I never seem to see enough of them but I love every moment when we're together. All 12 of these gems are truly my motivation for trying to make the world safer, healthier, and happier.

The economy and big box stores caused me to finally close my wonderful side business, a retail store, Art & Soul, in 2016, after about 20 years in operation. It was a sad day since I so enjoyed all the customers, the wonderful class instructors from around the world, and the opportunity to learn so many new art techniques. I have retained the joy of creating and continue to add to my stash of art supplies, spending hours doing things like Zentangling (it's a real thing, kind of like what we used to do on our Peachee folders!), making cards, art journalling and the like. Owning a business (along with my lobbying business) was a real challenge and learning experience that I'm so glad I did. It also offered me the opportunity to go to Japan for an art confab and touring a number of years ago.

Before adding all my old bio onto this one, I thought I would end with my last paragraph from 20 years ago.

I have few friends who look back on their high school years with fondness, but I loved those times. Reading the accounts of how you have lived your lives over the past 40 years makes me realize how far we have all come, but also how lucky we are to have begun together in such a great environment and time. I'm really looking forward to seeing you, even tho I no longer wear size 3.

After high school, I started out doing all the normal things -- graduating with a degree in Journalism from the University of Idaho (in 1968) and marrying my high school friend and sweetheart, Jack Porter. I still have the degree in journalism but the marriage was harder to retain. Before going our separate ways, Jack and I had a great life in the San Francisco Bay Area, spent some time in the Peace Corps (Southeast Asia) and became parents of two incredible girls, Jennifer (32) and Heather (26). (You can look at Jack's bio to view a picture that shows how lovely they are!) Jennifer has just built a beautiful home in Renton. She teaches middle school (and that alone makes her a hero in my book) but mostly is the mom of a 16 month old daughter, Claire. (Jack is right -- our grandchild is definitely cuter than yours, and I am providing a picture to prove it!!) Being a grandmother is the most amazing thing; I love it. Heather is a registered nurse doing pediatric care in Santa Barbara, CA, and I am longing for the day she moves back to the Northwest. Both their husbands are great. Who could ask for anything more.

For six years, I worked in U.S. Senator Frank Church's north Idaho office, a job that really started the process of opening my eyes to the real world. After the divorce, I moved to Seattle, where I began a career as a lobbyist, a job I have largely loved for the past 24 years. I own a successful business (Northwest Advocates), where I lobby for a variety of clients. Most of my work is medically-related (doctors, ambulances, oral surgeons, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, and blood banks), but I also do work for the arts, airport mangers (Robb Parish is one of my clients!!), REI, public transportation and other projects off and on. In spite of what the press may convey, lobbying is a very honorable profession -- I don't sneak into legislative offices with bags of money, booze, or the like! But it is also very stressful and difficult.

I married a fellow lobbyist, Mike Tracy, and we moved from Seattle to Olympia, WA in 1988. We have a daughter, Laura, who is 18. She is a lovely young woman who had serious adolescent struggles. At 15, we sent her to an emotional growth boarding school in central Oregon, a heart-breaking but absolutely necessary decision. She graduated from that program after 18 months, and went on to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy near Palm Springs as a dance major. (She had been an extraordinarily talented dancer before she lost her way.) After a year there she returned home to complete her high school credits at the local community college. While her high school years broke my heart, the growth both she and I achieved as a result of her difficulties has served us well. She is continuing to take college credits and changes her mind daily about what direction she will go next. (You will see from her picture that she has the same "beautiful" genes that her sisters do, so don't give Jack too much credit for his lovely daughters!!!) Besides my kids and my real job, I have developed a huge passion for creating art. I am most happy when I am surrounded by ink, paper, glue, rubber stamps, fibers, and beads. This addiction started out with a few corny rubber stamps about 15 years ago, and has emerged into a side business, where I sell cards, journals, and the like, and teach classes such as book-making and book-binding. Last year, with a long-time friend I opened a business in Lacey, WA called Art 'n Soul (partly so I could get a respectable discount on all the art supplies I was buying!). It's a good thing the business was started as a labor of love since I will definitely not be retiring anytime soon with its help, but it has been a great experience, and I have found that I really enjoy retail work (which is, perhaps, not very different than lobbying!).

Many wonderful things have happened to me over the years, but a Christmas time trip to Paris several years ago was perhaps one of the most significant highlights. At the time, Jennifer was teaching in Egypt and I didn't have a strong desire to spend Christmas in Cairo, so we "split the difference" and met in Paris. On that trip Jennifer became engaged (and did not return to Egypt), Heather desperately missed her significant other, and Laura became entranced by the City of Lights. For a whole lot of sort of odd reasons, the experience changed my life.

Many of you seem to be retiring or will be soon. I think I will be working for a significant number of additional years, and expect my life will take other interesting turns before it concludes.