DEAR ABBY: May I please add my 2 cents to "Repented in Oregon," the young woman who had been promiscuous during high school and college? I was in the same situation, but unlike "Repented," I didn't wise up at 19. I was 24 when I began to turn my life around. By that time, I had slept with more than 50 men, had contracted herpes and flunked out of college -- since I spent more time in bars drinking and picking up men than studying. Somewhere along the way, I had also managed to destroy my credit rating. My self-esteem and reputation were both in the Dumpster.
While in college, I had signed a contract with the Army Reserves and ROTC. At the time, I didn't expect to fulfill the contract since ROTC would make me an officer and the contract was just a formality. Without realizing it, I had made the best decision of my life. When I was suspended from college due to poor grades, I moved to another state. Eventually, with the help of the military, I graduated from nursing school.
I now have a wonderful career in the nursing profession, as well as a wonderful husband and two beautiful children. Yes, my husband knows about my past and my herpes. We are careful so he has never contracted it. He loves me for who I am now, not who I was at one time. My friends and co-workers know I was a "wild child" but, like my husband, they see who I am now.
Unfortunately, when I visit my parents, who still live in my hometown, there are those who still see the "wild child." They continue to ignore the 11 years of accomplishments and growth that make me who I am today. I choose to see this as their loss, not mine.
To "Repented": The choices I have made throughout my recovery may not work for you, but know that your true friends will see you for who you are becoming, not who you were. Good luck. -- BEEN THERE AND RECOVERED IN OKLAHOMA
DEAR BEEN THERE: Thank you for the great letter. I'm sure that more readers than "Repented" will see it and be inspired by it.