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“My Gutsy Story®”Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg

March 18, 2013 by Sonia Marsh 14 Comments

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1-Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg

My brother, sister, and I were raised alongside a Chihuahua, a hamster, and a lizard in Los Angeles, California.  The lizard’s name was Fluffy.  The hamster and Fluffy were eventually buried in the backyard alongside various goldfish.  I considered them lucky.  My parent’s raging alcoholism did not affect them at all.

My sister and I reacted to our upbringing by landing ourselves in juvenile hall. My brother lied about his age and took off for Viet Nam soon afterwards.

The background of our lives paved the way for each of us, the entire family, to experience mental illness first hand.  My mother’s anxiety caused her to quit leaving the house for much more than food or drink by the time I entered my twenties.  I was on my way to serious panic disorder by then.  I never left my apartment at all, preferring instead to feel like I was having a heart attack from the comfort of my own home.  My brother, suffering from major depression, took his own life when I was twenty-four, and three years later, my father followed suit.

But I was determined to make it in this world, and with three children in tow, I worked hard to build a life for us.  It worked for quite awhile, although it had that “by the skin of my teeth” feel to it.

As I encountered life, death and unrelenting grief, divorce, and single motherhood, I tried to remember just one thing: “Love your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind. And love your neighbor as yourself (Luke 10:27).”  No matter what I experienced, I made sure my children knew I loved them more than life itself.

I held various jobs over these years.  I talked a dentist into training me to be his assistant.  This worked out well until, losing a husband to divorce and a mother to cancer, I began to forget when to hand him the rubber dam and when he wanted the root elevator.  Then I worked at Superior Court of Santa Barbara County as a commissioner of civil marriages.  One sunny Saturday morning I waited for the happy couple to arrive at the courthouse.  When they arrived naked and wrapped in nothing but sheets I almost called the police.  Then I noticed the grape-leaf garlands on their heads and a small sign with an arrow pointing to my office: “Toga wedding this way.”

But there was one job I really wanted and couldn’t have.  I wanted to become a psychotherapist and help other hurting people who had also lost their way.  The trouble was, something like that took many years of college, and I had gotten kicked out right after the tenth grade, right along with my 1.0 grade point average.

Then something happened that would change my life forever.  Right before my fiftieth birthday, I fell down an entire flight of stairs. Instead of tumbling, like you see in the movies, I bounced down the stairs upright and kept landing on my feet. It may have worked out all right if I hadn’t been going 40 miles per hour.  About four steps from the bottom, I pitched forward and broke my neck on a doorframe.  I lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, alone in the house.  Perfect, no more sitting behind a computer or answering phones.

So, after a year of recovery, I started college, using my injury as a catalyst for fulfilling my dreams.  Four years later I graduated Maxima cum Laude at one of the top private colleges in the Western United States.  I also got accepted into a competitive masters program the following Fall semester.  Unfortunately, there was a slight delay.

Late that summer I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  Two neurosurgeons apologetically told me it was inoperable because it was situated at the base of my skull.  I had about a year to live.  I decided to use the research skills I had just developed and got onto an online forum, which led me to a famous neurosurgeon in Los Angeles.  He agreed to help.

After a six-hour extremely risky brain surgery, I was sent home in a wheelchair.  I couldn’t walk; I had double vision; I lost half my hearing, and my perception was off. I also had a loud buzzing sound in my head that woke me between ten to fifteen times a night and I suffered terrible fatigue. But lying in bed again, I hatched a plan.  What would it hurt if I got my masters degree anyway?  Possibly, I would recover enough to use it, and if not, no harm, no foul.  My wonderful husband backed me all the way.

Soon I was reading textbooks by holding them a few inches from my face and writing papers on a laptop I placed on a pillow on my legs. By the end of the first year, I had enough energy to attend a weeklong residency out of state by using an electric scooter to get around.  By the end of the second year I attended my second residency without using the scooter at all.  Soon I was able to do a 10-hour-a-week practicum, then a 30-hour-a-week internship.  Finally, I pushed myself to work a full time job at an agency serving abused and neglected children in order to fulfill my licensure requirements.

I am now a psychotherapist in a thriving private practice.  I work with teenagers and adults who are hurting, scared, and stuck.  I teach them skills to navigate life.  And I’m not done yet.  I’m a writer, a speaker, a grandmother of ten and a great-grandmother of a sweet little boy.  A great-granddaughter is soon to arrive.  I’ve become the matriarch of a large, happy family.  My favorite quote is “It’s never too late to become what you might have been,” by George Eliot.

 Linda Lochridge Hoenisberg Bio: Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg is a writer, speaker, and a psychotherapist in private practice.  She is a strong believer in the fact that no matter what life has handed us, it’s never too late to become what we might have been.  She is married and the mother of three, grandmother of ten, and great-grandmother to one, with her second great-grandchild arriving soon.  She lives in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains with her husband and their golden doodle, Emma.

Please check out Linda’s website and follow her on Twitter: @lhoenigsberg

Sonia Marsh Says: Linda, you have conquered so many obstacles in your life and all I can say is how you deserve a medal for your courage and determination, and for not giving up. What a message for all of us to read.

 ***

I am asking you to please vote for my “Ticket to Give”  so I can  give TOMS shoes to poor kids in need. See more about it here.

Do you have a “My Gutsy Story®” you’d like to share?

NOW is the time to submit your “My Gutsy Story®.” Please see guidelines below and contact Sonia Marsh at: sonia@soniamarsh.com for details.

Please read and share our other March 2013 “My Gutsy Story®”  by Bonnie Kassel, and our second by Owen Jones.

You can find all the information, and our new sponsors on the “My Gutsy Story®” contest page. (VIDEO) Submission guidelines here

Filed Under: Inspirational, My Gutsy Story, People Tagged With: "My Gutsy Story®”Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg

Comments

  1. Carol says

    March 18, 2013 at 6:42 am

    Linda,

    Yes, you deserve a gold medal! Thanks so much for sharing. Sharing and encouraging us as well. I’d never heard of that quote, and how true, useful, and life-giving it is: ” It’s never too late to become what you might have been “. There’s so much hope and promise in those words, words that offer real prospects when tempted to think that things are coming to an end.
    I wish you all the happiness in the world.

    Reply
  2. Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says

    March 18, 2013 at 6:49 am

    Thank you so much Carol! I discovered that quote when I started college at 51-years-old. I NEEDED that quote! LOL. It’s also the title of my memoir blog at http://www.lindalochridge.com. There’s a free e-book there called “Becoming What You Might Have Been” over there if you would like a copy!

    Reply
  3. Barbara says

    March 18, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Quite an inspiration! Having grown up with alcoholism, among other dysfunctions, I can relate to much of this, but you’ve clearly gone the extra mile (probably marathon). Kudos to you for your determination and iron will!
    Barbara
    Barbara recently posted..A Nod to the Past, As We Look to the FutureMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says

    March 18, 2013 at 11:54 am

    Hi Barbara,
    Thank you so much! I like to say, “it’s not over till it’s over,” and I still have lots more up my sleeve (God willing and the river don’t rise). My link to my site up there is broken, to if you would like to hear more and get my free e-book, BECOMING WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN,” see me at http://www.lindalochridge.com. Thanks again Barbara…I’ll be reading your post as well.

    Reply
  5. Penelope J. says

    March 18, 2013 at 8:19 pm

    What a rocky road you’ve traveled, but it obviously only made you tougher and more determined. An incredibly gutsy story about overcoming impossible obstacles to become what you were meant to be. Love that quote “It’s never too late to become what you might have been.” I think it applies to a lot of us of a certain age who are going after goals or fulfilling dreams that had been lost along the way. Your story is inspiring and motivating to those of us who have had to face many obstacles along the way.
    Penelope J. recently posted..Never Give Up on Your DreamMy Profile

    Reply
    • Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says

      March 19, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      Thanks Penelope! How right you are, and I am now going over to your blog to see what you are up to! Thanks again! Linda
      Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg recently posted..That Big Expanse of Sky Called MontanaMy Profile

      Reply
  6. ladyfi says

    March 19, 2013 at 4:10 am

    This story of bravery and overcoming the toughest odds really moved me.
    ladyfi recently posted..Tropical coldMy Profile

    Reply
    • Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says

      March 19, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      Hi there. Thank you. I love the photographs on your site! Made me smile…thank you.
      Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg recently posted..That Big Expanse of Sky Called MontanaMy Profile

      Reply
  7. Belinda Nicoll says

    March 19, 2013 at 4:22 am

    What a courageous person you are. Your story validates the merit of pursuing one’s passion. Thanks for sharing, Linda.

    Reply
    • Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg says

      March 19, 2013 at 5:44 pm

      Thank you Belinda. There is truly a joy in knowing you did not give up on your deepest dreams.
      Linda Lochridge Hoenigsberg recently posted..That Big Expanse of Sky Called MontanaMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Kathleen Pooler says

    March 30, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    What a remarkable story , Linda. It is a testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. Your courage in the face of so many incredible odds is awe-inspiring. Your story reminds me that when we find a purpose for our pain and trials, we can pay it forward to help others, like you have. Your life has come full circle and you are an inspiration..your beautiful smile tells it all. . Blessings to you and thank you for sharing your truly “gutsy story.”
    Kathleen Pooler recently posted..How Vulnerability Can Be A Beautiful Gift in Memoir Writing: A Guest Post by Barbara TechelMy Profile

    Reply
    • Sonia Marsh says

      March 31, 2013 at 3:26 pm

      I agree Kathy. It’s hard to tell how much Linda has been through in her life with her warm and loving smile. It certainly is an inspiration for all of us to read and share.
      Sonia Marsh recently posted..Vote For Your Favorite March “My Gutsy Story®”My Profile

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. I Used to Hate Public Speaking Until… | Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living says:
    March 21, 2013 at 1:08 pm

    […] Please read and share our other March 2013 “My Gutsy Story®”  by Bonnie Kassel,  Owen Jones, and Linda Lochridge Hoenisberg […]

    Reply
  2. Writing Contest: Vote for your favorite March “My Gutsy Story®” | Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living says:
    April 4, 2013 at 10:23 am

    […] Linda Lochridge Hoenisberg […]

    Reply

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