A brief history of Sam
Greetings. My name is Samantha Tolleson. I’m from and live in Ohatchee, Alabama. I’m a mother of two and married to an Army Veteran. I am thirty-five years old and pursuing a bachelor’s double major of History and English, then to pursue a master's afterwards. I’ve been on the ‘so-called’ fence of what my minor should specialize in. Political Science is a passion, yet I find Anthropology equally fascinating. Both could benefit me in a career in writing. I also like to rate or write reviews, for the books I’ve read, on goodreads.com. In a way my profile is a personal journal while sharing my thoughts to a vast book loving audience. I have read extensively for many years and as of August 2019, I have completed 4,330 books however this doesn’t earn me a degree. Nevertheless, I feel prepared to take on the courses required for whichever road I decide to follow.
As a hobby I like to walk the roads of my community and pick up litter and aluminum cans. I recycle the cans at a local scrap yard on Alabama Highway 144. All the while, I listen to audiobooks. I’ve been chased by dogs and sprayed by a skunk. I’ve walked alongside an armadillo and found roads that I never knew existed in a county I’ve lived in my entire life. I find my outings as an adventure every time, so I have a better knowledge of my geography. Unfortunately for safety and medical reasons I can only perform this service when the conditions are cold and dry. Cold because snakes and bugs are hibernating and dry, to reduce the chance of catching a cold. I always end up coming home and taking notes of curiosities I cross or bridges I traverse.
I was a stay at home mom partly due to my son being developmentally delayed and still in elementary school, but mostly because of my poor immune system. In January of 2014 my appendix ruptured then two weeks later my spleen did likewise. I can no longer work in a retail or factory setting, much to my chagrin. I decided to come back to school at the end of 2017 and finally was able to start again in the Fall semester of 2018. C.S. Lewis once wrote, “You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” This is advice I attempt to live by every day.
My current goal besides being a student in History, Archeology and Writer’s Clubs, is being there for my son and daughter when the OHS marching band takes the field at every home football game. My husband juggles work at the Jacksonville Wal-Mart and is also attending Jacksonville State University. Our furred and feathered friends comprise of one dog, thirteen cats, three hens and one rooster. We stay busy with chores, band practice, taking care of our critters, studying and mostly keeping to ourselves. In conclusion, I wonder if we’ll get any sleep this semester.
*written in September 2019