I was in my early 20s when I fell in love with a woman but it was several years later that I accepted that I was a lesbian. When an undergraduate I majored in history and political science. One of my political science teachers asked me to stay and teach Texas government. I decided not to do that. But if I had I might have taken the path of being a lawyer which what I wish now I had done. I was standing in the graduation line when a friend said her grandmother was driving her to Bolder, Colorado in a few days and did I want to go with them. I said yes and did go. I lived in a house with about 6 other women. They were quite religious and against being gay. This was troubling to me so I went to see a counselor at the University of Colorado counseling center. I told her I loved women. She laughed at me. I left and never went back. I came back to Texas and got a master's degree in clinical psychology. One of the professors was quite taken with me and my work and helped me get a job with a clinical psychologist in Dallas. After a few years there I left because she ran out of money to pay us. I went to Baltimore, MD. and worked in the county school system as a psychologist. After a year there, I came back to Texas and got a job with the Dallas Juvenile Department as a probation officer. There I met a parole officer and we got involved but she ended up lying to me about an affair but I found love letters between the two. I left and said I would never let anyone hurt me like that again. I was naive about relationships and had no idea that this kind of thing happened. I met another woman visiting a friend in Dallas. She lived in San Diego. I had already decided I wanted to go into social work so I applied to a new school in San Diego and moved in with this woman. After I got the degree, we both moved to Dallas. I knew I wanted to be a college teacher and would need a Ph.D. to do this so the next year I applied to Ph.D. program. I ended up going to Ohio State because I was offered the best financial package there. I left after my course work and qualifying exams and got a job in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. I am still there. I have been in various relationships with women and have not had much success in long term relationships. The longest were two 5-year relationships. I have dedicated the rest of my career to lesbian and gay persons and am writing my 5th book on them. Other books I have written were on midlife. My current book that I in the process of writing is on lesbian and gay couples. I have another book proposal out but no word on its success. It is on a book I really want to write and will most likely be my last book. The topic is what conservative religion does to lesbian and gay persons and to the practitioners who will not work with them. I have made several presentations on this topic and they have gone over well. ski