Many parallels between adoptee and murderer Jeffrey landrigans life and my life.
We are same age, he breaks out of prison in 89 (year I met birthmother) to flee to Arizona (I fled to Arizona) to unsuccessfully find his birthmother....
In 90 , we both cut off contact with our adoptive parents.
He and his biological father Darryl Hill who he never got to meet in person or both on death row
Yesterday, as I approached the bus stop, I was immediately given a flower by a 4 year old girl named jojo.
She said: "Because I want you to be happy!"
So, I taught her and her baby brother (and her 30 y.o. mom!) the song: Where have all the flowers gone!
You never know who you'll meet at Macy's!
Today, I met a homeless atheist who plans to work his way up the socioeconomic ladder by selling BIBLES door to door!
Wow! John's Hopkins (university named after him) was a pallbearer at my great grandfather's (Sylvester King) funeral in Baltimore!
It looks like funeral happened in the same Towson building I worked in! (Church and preschool)
O.k. I listened live, 12 news coverage for about 17 minutes. I'm naucious so I'm going to watch true crime instead.
For many years, if I wanted to take a drive (while in Baltimore) I would drive as far northwest as possible on Reisterstown road having no clue my biological family lived on that road.
And, I would drive Falls road having no idea that my biological paternal uncle lived in Falls road!
Coincidence or something more?
For 24 years or so, the weakness is so devastating, that it takes all I have to move a muscle.
I googled it and up popped an article about one if my dozens of diagnoses, endometriosis.
I was relieved that writer of article stated what I've been saying for years...it's as horrific ad advanced cancer. But worse I believe because it's a life sentence.
"If things start out badly, they're probably going to end badly" Joe Kenda
(Like babies put up for adoption)
Please check out my friend's eye opening blog on adoption. She's a brilliant writer and her name is Lorraine Dusky.
Just Google:
"birthmother,firstmother blog"
"Her life is ruined, because she was adopted by an abusive couple!"
(This documentary is extraordinary)
The more I learn about my biological family the more I am blown away at the parallels. For example in 2011 I made a drawing of me with a sign that said Tucson or bust because I didn't want to stay up here in the cold weather semicolon in the last year and a half or so I discovered that my biological Aunt who I don't even know what she looks like her name is Kitty actually lived and died in Tucson!
I also realize that there's a very strong chance that my half-sister and I were in some of the same classes at Towson University because we both started going there the same year even though she is two years younger than me. We are not in contact but these are just things that I've been able to piece together due to the fact that she is two years younger than me
There are so many more adoptee realizations someone just told me today that my biological father actually grew up in Randallstown which is the same place that I grew up
I just virtually met Cousin mark, a fourth cousin.
He traced my Cotton family line all the way back to the late sixteenth, early seventeenth century! (England)
Btw, I am 52 percent of u.k. heritage. This includes Ireland. My Irish ancestors settled in Baltimore circa 1800!
I'm an adoptee. I found birthmother at age 26, but we are not in contact.
I'm 54.
There's an extremely strong chance my late adoptive father did regular business with my biological family since my biological family started the mid Atlantic Pepsi bottling franchise and Arnold, my adoptive father owned bars and restaurants in the early 70s.
But Arnold wouldn't have known they were my paternal biological family!
Decade after decade deal with same battles.
Today my large umbrella kept me from being hit my a car when I was in walkway
And
I had to use my umbrella to block a loose dog that was about to jump on me!
American dog owners ,(very true in Flagstaff) think they're too good to follow leash laws.
INFURIATING
As an adoptee I have no way of knowing whether or not my biological family even know that I exist. Of course there are a couple who know that I exist but I don't know any details at all I don't know what any of my or I know only what a few of my biological family look like
So to be connected through my DNA results to the very cousin who has known about me for decades and cared a great deal about the fact that my biological father didn't want to have anything to do with me, is remarkable!
It just brings a tear to my eye to know that not only did someone in my family know that I exist but they cared about what kind of life I would have with no father!
This is my fraternal biological great grandfather Harry Cann Ross with cousins Colleen and Shirley. My cousins resemble the 1967 pic. of me on my blog I think.
I wouldn't have bothered doing my DNA test but one of the Facebook groups will pay for your test if your low income I think it's one of the groups for adoptees. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I meet a cousin who is helping me to learn what my family are like and sending me pictures on a regular basis since I got my results about 12 days ago
This is Uncle Willie my great uncle Willie he lost his leg hopping trains, maybe I got my Wild and Free Spirit from him!
"No matter how meek a person is, in the right conditions, they can become very violent"
(I said this on my blog years ago)
I don't know if I could deal with it, if 20 years of my life had been wiped out.
Mary Ride
