10 and Lawrence Street, N.E. Washington D.C. 20017
From: Terry Catucci <tcatucci@erols.com>
Subject: Re: The Reunion reports!
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1998 08:42:38 -0400
Hello Elsie et al (that's Latin),
You've inspired me to write my bio. At least the parts that are fit to
print...
After an abortive college career, Pete and I married within a year
after I graduated from St. A's. Despite the great education I got at
school, I was emotionally unprepared for college. We married in May of
1969 and had two children right away (yes I was PG)-- Nick and Traci,
now 28 and 26 respectively. They are out of the house now, neither one
married (and that's fine with me), but they both seem to be getting
close to it. Ten years after Traci, Francesca came along. She is now
16, a senior at Elizabeth Seton. Parenting has been so rewarding. What
a thrill to watch a child grow up and become his or her own person. I
excel at things like embarrassing my children--which Francesca says I do
very well. Francesca is the great debater. I keep telling her she
should be a lawyer, but she seems intent on physics right now.
I worked at Providence for 10 years, mostly part time, and then became
a full time housewife in the mid-seventies. After Francesca was born, I
began to think about "what I wanted to be when I grew up." I had read
an article about a home-based franchise called Decorating Den. The
office is a van full of catalogs and wallpaper, fabric, and carpet
samples. I did that for a few years, sold the business, and went to
work for the coporate office in Bethesda where I stayed until 1996.
During that time I think I grew up--at least a little. I decided I
wanted to be a social worker because the part of my job I really liked
was counseling other owners. Plus, I had received some professional
counseling myself and I understood the value of it. I began attending
UMUC in 1993 and got my BS in Behavioral and Social Sciences in three
years while working, at first full time and then part time. I took
every CLEP exam there was and also took the Excel course which gives you
college credit for life experience.
In 1996 I entered the Master of Social Work program at University of
Maryland at Baltimore and graduated in May of 1998. No shortcuts there,
but I didn't want any--I had so much to learn! I really enjoyed my
experience there and made some great new friends. I had two internships
during that time and loved the work. I feel confident that I made the
right career decision. Now, if only I had a job! But it will come. I
started looking around the middle of August. Had two offers but they
didn't feel right. Also had one rejection and one which never returned
my phone calls after my interview (I figured out that one was a
rejection too). Right now I am still sending out resumes, signed with a
temp agency that places mental health professionals, and have decided to
do a little volunteering at House of Ruth, a program for victims of
domestic violence. I am taking it one day at a time and enjoying this
beautiful fall weather.
I am also active at St. Bernard's parish in Riverdale. BTW, Pete and I
bought his old family homestead in Riverdale for those of you who
remember it. At St. Bernard's I have been a youth minister but had to
give it up during the second year of graduate school. Last summer,
Francesca and I went with about 100 other youth and chaperones from the
Archdiocese of Washington to World Youth Day in France. Kathy Little's
twin girls were also on that trip. What an experience! We traveled
from one end of France to the other--Lourdes was my favorite. One night
we went down to the grotto at 2:00am when there was no one else around.
It was awe-inspiring. We wound up in Paris where the World Youth Day
activities took place--they were waaay to crowded for me, but an
experience I will not forget.
Pete's been with the telephone company and then the union for a total
of 30 years. He might be joining you in retirement soon, Elsie. It's
quite a relief, because next year is an election year for him, and even
though he's won for the last 12 years or so, it's nice to know that a
retirement package is waiting for him, just in case.
Well, that's my life--at least what it looks like from the outside.
What these events don't tell you is how rich my life feels to me and how
blessed I am.
I have so enjoyed our exchanges. Who's next?