Why Mister Ritchey?

Many of my teachers called me that throughout my school years.  I hated it then because I felt like it just made me stand out.  I felt like a nerdy misfit as it was.  Then one of my teachers told my mom at a parent/teacher conference that she thought I looked like a little professor.  I was just so studious and mature.  Then I hated it even more.  Well, not really.  It kind of made me feel good.

About me

I’m small in stature, but have a certain fearlessness in my approach to life.  I used to be timid and reserved sometimes, a bit of a paradox.  I’m funny, but very serious and passionate about aspirations, my faith and spirituality, and goals.  I’m warm and genuine, but also objective and analytical.  I’m consistently inconsistent.  I’m a gifted writer, but haven’t finished any significant work.  I have superior insight and judgement, but have often caught myself yielding to a lesser will. That’s something I can honestly say I’ve changed in recent years as I’ve grown in confidence and learned that I’m smarter and more well balanced than most.

As mentioned in several of my posts, I have bipolar depression. I have mild symptoms for which I am very grateful.

My background

After starting college at a four year school, East Stroudsburg University, I dropped out after three semesters due to lack of direction, support, and funds.  I then got my Associate’s Degree via the Radio/TV program at Northampton Community College.  I only half heartedly sought to find work in that field, but never really pursued a career in it.  I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it.  I didn’t continue on for my Bachelor’s Degree, much to my future remorse, because I was burned out and still lacked direction.

I share a 100 year old house with my brother in Bethlehem, PA.  I grew up in the small town of Bangor, PA in a lower middle class home.  We struggled for money quite a bit in my childhood and preteen years.  My dad was a milk tester until they replaced people with automatic equipment.  Then he worked in a hardware store.  My mother worked in blouse mills, as they called them then.

I have one brother and one sister, both older.

I’m single, and a gay Christian.