Today's Featured Biography

 
Christine Schweitzer Ruppe

Perusing everyone's bio has been fascinating. I have loved reading about how my high school classmates have spent their last 40 years...I always knew that the class of '69 was filled with "go-getters". In fact, it makes me smile inwardly and fills me with both pride and joy that I knew you all when...that we began as children sharing our grandiose dreams. And, many of you have, over the years, pursued your dreams..some taking longer than others, but, nonetheless, accomplishing much. As for myself, I feel that my transition into a more spiritual, wise, and sensitive individual did not really begin until I was in my mid 30's. After graduating from UC Berkeley I put my first husband through law school by working in the insurance industry. We shared a table studying at night while I went to Golden Gate University to get an MBA. Unfortunately, this "togetherness" did not necessarily create a more loving relationship and we divorced shortly after my husband passed the bar. Onward and upward, I dried my tears, and started a wholesale insurance brokerage firm, remarried, and birthed twins in that order. Wow! At 35, to be the parent of two adorable girls and one female step-child! Roger, my second husband and I vowed to be the most enlightened parents...Hah! Big lesson learned...you can not procrastinate with 3 children to raise and two full-time working parents. My working career, however, came to a halt at the age of 40 when, in the space of 6 months I had a hysterectomy/appendectomy and a mastectomy due to breast cancer. What was God trying to tell me, I asked myself? To Slow Down! I sold my insurance brokerage business and took a year off to get healthy. But, my type-A personality would not let me enjoy the relative peace and quiet with my children. Instead, I felt the need to be more philanthropic. So, with a partner, I started up A Lady's Touch, a store that specialized in wigs, turbans, and scarves and mastectomy products for those who have undergone breast surgery and/or had chemotherapy. The work was very satisfying but emotionally draining. After 12 years, I sold the business to my partner and my husband and I moved to a cottage in Stinson Beach. We now spend our time between Stinson and a 42- acre derilict farmhouse that is off the grid, 7 miles inland from Sea Ranch. I am now self-employed, and work from home as a project manager for several clients, and my husband is retired, sort of, doing some insurance consulting part-time. Our children are grown...Erin is a hospitalist in New Haven, Conn., and the twins just graduated from Georgetown University and are planning their futures, whatever and that may be. My parents are both still alive but getting more fragile by the day...(my father was diagnosed with Alzheimers several years ago and my mother has emphysema). All my brothers and sisters are alive and well and have children of their own but no grandchildren yet. As for me, I love listening to the surf and living at the beach and becoming an active member in the Stinson Beach community. And, on Monday nights I sing regularly at a local bar/restaurant complete with a microphone and pianist and bass player... usually songs from the 1940's but occasionally a musical number or two. I definitely get better and less nervous after drinking a glass of wine...And singing is so much fun and has been a wonderful new and somewhat frightening challenge for me at this stage in my life. So that's it..I truly look forward to seeng all of you in October...until then ...

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