An Imperfect Journey to a Perfect Life: One Woman's Story

By Jan Mansfield La Boone

An Imperfect Journey to a Perfect Life provides a fascinating view of what it was like to grow up with spina bifida in the 1950s and 60s. This is the true story of a woman who used her intelligence, faith, industry, humor, talent, insight, and sheer determination to overcome the obstacles she faced related to spina bifida plus many more that were not. It is an inspiring memoir that will warm the heart and encourage everyone who has faced personal challenges. It is the story of triumph.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781532002687

Jan Mansfield La Boone

Jan Mansfield La Boone is a retired education administrator, speech-language pathologist, speaker, writer, and community leader. In retirement, she devotes time to leadership in her local Council of Catholic Women group and to an organization that creates opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. She also volunteers as a church musician. Her hobbies include reading, music, watercolor painting, physical fitness, traveling, and attending performing arts events. She and her husband live in Georgia.

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Copyright © 2016 Jan Mansfield La Boone.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-0306-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-0268-7 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 07/25/2016

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

1    No Life of Crime for Me

2    In the Beginning

3    The Nuns and Other Scary Things

4    High School Times Three

5    Transitions

6    The Real World

7    Moving Forward

8    The Bumps in the Road

9    Changes

10    The New Normal

11    Retirement

Resources

About the Author

For my children, Jason and Carleen

and for my husband, John

in thanksgiving

for the beautiful tapestry of love

we have created

They are able because they think they are able. – Vergil

Foreword

M ahatma Gandhi once said, Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. That’s my Jan. She is a force to be reckoned with. There is actually a bit more to developing true inner strength over the course of a lifetime, but believing in oneself and adamantly refusing to accept false ideas, negative attitudes, baseless self-doubt and self-defeating habits go a very long way toward surviving, succeeding and finding love, meaning and joy in this world.

Jan is the love of my life and I am always proud of her for so many reasons. I am especially proud of her accomplishment of writing and publishing this book. Writing a memoir, when done with honesty and purpose, is very hard work, indeed. The reflection that is required, the deep remembrances, the analysis, the struggle to put experience into a context that makes sense of the momentous and the mundane alike, the unending introspection, and the vast amount of energy it takes – this type of work is a huge task. That is why few people get very far with writing a memoir if they attempt it at all.

This book tells a genuinely inspiring story, not just because Jan survived having a disability. Not just because she became educated and independent. Not just because she did a superb job of raising two children as a single parent. Not just because she became a highly respected specialist in her profession. Not just because she won prestigious awards. And not just because she has made a lifelong habit of exceeding everyone’s expectations. All those things are justly laudable, but Jan’s story is inspiring because throughout all the struggle and uncertainty she has faced, she not only got stronger, she also became a more spiritual person, more compassionate, wiser, and someone who is always sincerely happy whenever anybody else has good fortune. It is not uncommon for people – with or without disabilities – to have those qualities diminished or extinguished by the struggles of life, however, Jan has turned all of her struggles into strength infused with joy.

In the course of her journey, Jan has become not only a more confident and capable person in spite of the extra difficulties she has had with her spina bifida, she has also become a more and more beautiful spirit as the years have passed. She learned to take care of herself and her family as a young woman, and then set about helping others, not wishing to waste any of her time, talent, industry, knowledge, caring or opportunity. She has exemplified the exhortation to do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can for as long as we can. I am the only person in the world who is privy to how she routinely performs well thought out acts of kindness and helpfulness without fanfare and without ever claiming or wanting credit.

People have always responded to the love of life that radiates from Jan. At her retirement reception several years ago, a video of highlights from her work in education was shown. For background music, they used the Beatles song Here Comes the Sun. Absolutely nothing else could have been more appropriate. She brings sunshine, optimism, hope and kindness wherever she goes, and there is no way to calculate how many lives she has blessed and continues to bless. This book will give a glimpse into some of what went into her development as a talented, loving and thoroughly amazing human being. Read. Enjoy. Be inspired.

John A. La Boone

July 2016

Preface

I t was a difficult decision to write this book. My father and friends kept telling me I needed to write a book about my life. They felt I had something to share with others who have or who know someone who has spina bifida. I wasn’t sure I had anything worth sharing. I live my life with the cards I was dealt just like everyone else does. There is nothing unusual about that, at least not as I saw it. Successful people work hard for what they earn. I worked hard for my success. It wasn’t easy, but it never is so that is not unusual. So why would my story be worth sharing with others? My friends and family know the story—well not the entire story, but enough of it. What could my book provide to folks who don’t know me? Would it even be of interest to