“As you get older you have lived a larger percent of your life already — even if you don’t really know what the percent is. If I were to live to be 100, I’ve lived 59% of my life already. You get to thinking more about getting to those things that you want to do before you die. You watched your children and grandchildren and other children in your life — grow up, graduate, get married, have babies of their own. This all happens in a couple of blinks of the eye.”
“As you get older you have lived a larger percent of your life already — even if you don’t really know what the percent is. If I were to live to be 100, I’ve lived 59% of my life already. You get to thinking more about getting to those things that you want to do before you die. You watched your children and grandchildren and other children in your life — grow up, graduate, get married, have babies of their own. This all happens in a couple of blinks of the eye.”
“Beauty has many images and many facets. It isn’t just about being pretty any more. It’s about being confident, about being comfortable in your skin and with who you are. You can see that in people and you can see it when it isn’t there.”
Empathetic, kind, and compassionate, Camie strives for a world where everyone is treated fairly. She enjoys building relationships with those around her, as well as acknowledging the good in others and herself. Originally from Missouri, she attended Central Missouri State University before moving to the Portland area in the late 1980’s. Currently, she lives in Tigard and is a harried Administrative Manager juggling the roles of Accounting, Human Resources, Payroll, etc for a family-owned company with 57 employees in North Portland. She is proud to work in a woman owned business in a male dominated industry. She has been with Anderson Brothers for 9 years. www.abros.com
Camie enjoys the wisdom and freedom that comes with being over 50: “In ways your life starts anew in your 50s. You are more settled and comfortable with who you are – you don’t care as much of what other people think of you.”
“I think of myself as a pretty ordinary person with an ordinary life. I think going through a divorce and coming out on the other side as a whole person is a great achievement. My sister said she admired me that I was willing to give marriage another try. (She got divorced and has never remarried.) I never thought of it as a big deal, but she made me realize that it can be hard to learn to trust and fall in love again.”
Camie is happiest when spending quality time with friends, family, and her 2 dogs, Olive and Rocky. She is looking forward to what retirement holds for her and her husband. Camie finds joy in the little things in life. She loves sunflowers, blue glass, reading, collecting novelty buttons, as well as, making and sending greeting cards. She adopted backyard birdwatching as her new COVID hobby, and continues to enjoy watching the daily “bird and squirrel” show. She is the family photographer and has also enjoyed playing photographer at church and at work. But sometimes she feels that she has to step back from that role, and take a hiatus, as it can overwhelm and feel like another job at times.
“I am always the one that has my camera out and at the ready to capture the moments in life–both the special days and the ordinary days, the candid shots and the staged shots. Sometimes it’s to the annoyance of my family and friends, but later they usually appreciate having the photos. It always makes me happy when my photos turn up as someone else’s profile photo, or they are used in church newsletters, or they are used for an obituary photo of a loved one (what an honor).”
“Being kind to others (all others) really matters. Treating people fairly matters. Even though I like the stuff, it’s not about the stuff, it’s about the relationships. Seeing and acknowledging the good (or the God) in others and in yourself is important.”
Camie’s advice to her younger self: “Being happy is not a destination, it’s a journey with ups and downs and all sorts of detours.”
Camie now: “I value having enough, not having it all.”
