Terryl Mackey
author, physician, bee keeper, metaphysical wanderer
Hello, and thank you for joining me on my journey! Here’s a little background on me…
I call myself “Gingham Collar.” Why? Well, some people are considered “blue collar” due to their livelihood in the trades. Others are noted to be “white collar” due to a livelihood dependent upon academic credentials. My life has bridged the two.
The Blue Collar refers to my roles as a loving granddaughter of subsistence farmers and an intensely proud daughter of a military father who became a barber and a farmer’s daughter who became a beautician. My first job was in third grade, as a waitress. Subsequently, I worked as a babysitter, started a yard service and housekeeping business, was employed as a department store clerk, and later a clothing salesperson. I was pretty much continuously employed in one of the above jobs through college.
The White Collar refers to my roles as a physician trained in emergency medicine and psychiatry. I kicked aging in the shin when I embarked at fifty on a second career in psychiatry.
The Gingham Collar refers to my life as a synthesis of the blue and the white-collar backgrounds.
My current positions include author, bee keeper, physician, gardener, yoga and yoga dance instructor, Reiki teacher, party animal, and right brained metaphysical wanderer. Several personal near-death experiences sparked my interest in the adventure of living well and serving others along the way. As well my experiences unearthed a wonderfully rampant curiosity, increased my “snarkitude” (my coined phrase for seeing the humor in most things that I do, especially my missteps, faults and foibles), and made me awfully grateful to have my Star Ship Terryl relatively intact along with my fellow life travelers.