Reflections 4

Joan R. Griffith grew up in a small southern town as the eighth child of nine. From early childhood, through high school, college, medical school, internship, residency and her military career, conformity appeared to shape the totality of her existence. Yet, the sum of her lifetime experiences represents a life that could only be uniquely described as amazing. Leaving home at 18 to attend college in the east, she embarked on a remarkable journey that would forever change her life. A self-acknowledged introvert and perpetual student of life she encountered the predictable challenges facing an evolving young woman trying to “make sense” of all that she experienced. After retiring from the military and transitioning to civilian life, she finally followed her dream to publish her thoughts on the array of the experiences that shaped her life and continue to influence her now. In her series entitled Reflections, she reveals her feelings about many of her transforming encounters during specific moments in her life. In Reflections Three, she shares her thoughts on life, time, and friends.