About me — D. Higbee

Bibliophile, storyteller, athlete

Photo of the author by Emily Pearl Photography

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I grew up as a military brat, which still sounds wrong to me. What kind of image does that conjure for you? A lonely only child who never lives in one community long enough to be missed, and spoiled by parents guilty about their frequent absence? Yeah, that wasn’t really my experience.

I was one of five kids, born to an American father and a Mexican mother. So, I was never lonely or left alone. Yes, we moved around more than the average family, but we didn’t always live in base housing and we often stayed for three years, which is plenty of time to make connections. Yes, I suppose you could make the argument that I was a little spoiled, but that was more due to being an only daughter than to guilt-ridden parents. My mother was home with us so even when my father was gone on TDY, we felt loved and secure.

We were also strong members of our faith, so no matter where we moved, there was a community we could join immediately. I made friends easily and could assimilate well at church and school. I loved where I lived, and I loved my friends. Every time we left, a piece of me stayed behind. But I was…