Cindy Briggs Horner

I've had a busy life since leaving CDO. Several lives actually; so it seems. I went to Interlochen Center for the Arts to get started on my education in Fine Arts. It took a different direction when a friend I'd met at that school told me about Covenant Players, a Christian, interdeminational ministry through drama. I felt "called" and went to LA for training and area assignment. The group trains for 9 weeks out of the year and is "on the road" the rest of the year. The teams change areas twice a year and so I ended working in 13 countries, on 4 continents, over the 12 years I worked with them (and visited a few more). I did 600 individual character rolls and 6000 performances in all types of Christian churches, nursing homes, Xian and secular schools, prisons and military bases. It was an amazing time and many lives were touched in a positive way.

I then went back to school to work on a degree in education. One of my part time jobs was with the US Naval Reserves. I was too old for Active duty so there was this great program where they give you a job in the Reserves according to what you had in civilian life. I became a Chaplain's assistant. It seemed strange being in the Navy in Arizona, but there was a unit that worked with the Airforce to build airplane parts. They didn't have a chaplain with them so I became the unofficial one and arranged Sunday devotions and "officiated" offical cerimonies. I loved the work and missed full time Christian missions.

One day I received a phone call. Someone asked if I wanted to return to active duty? I said I'd never been active duty. He didn't understand why my name was on his list but if I wanted to go, I could get an age waver and go...and I had 5 min. to decide. I knew it was a "call" so, right away, I enlisted. I survived boot camp at age 34! (Boy, could I tell you some stories!) One of the oldest people to graduate boot camp and received high marks and an extra stripe to boot!
I got another stripe in admin. school for top marks which made me an instant petty officer, once I had 6 months of service under my belt.

First assignment: Independent duty at Beaufort Naval Hospital in beautiful Beaufort, SC. I had a great chaplain to work for and lots of supportive people at the command. I even got assigned to be the Commanding Officer's secratary while his own secratary was on sick leave for 6 weeks. A bit stressy, but lived through it and made some great contacts.

The second chaplain assigned to the hospital proved to be more of a challange and at one point I was granted a change of assignment to the Chaplain's office at Parris Island Marines Recruit Training Base (boot camp) just 15 min. drive down the road. I became the liason between the injured marine recruits and the Chaplain's office. Great job!

At one point, in 1997, I went to visit an ol' Covenant Player friend who is Swiss and lives in Switerland. She and my now-husband, were invited to go to a wedding in Southern France, and since I was already there with them, I was invited to go too. The trip was long so we stayed and camped out for three days and Michael developed "feelings" for me. (I had no clue) and a month later, he came to visit me in the States. (Then I knew!) We ended up getting married one year later. Most of our communication was done by faxing 2-6 pages, EVERY night since I didn't have a computer at home...and didn't want one.

We were married in 1998, but I couldn't move to Switzerland, where Michael already has an active life, until March 2000 because I needed to finish my Navy commitment. It wasn't easy, but for us, it worked out. He even was able to come live with me in the States for a couple months to find out what Americans are like. He likes them because they are much more open to talk to than many Swiss people. Yet, he still likes the "set in stone" mentality of many of the Swiss. I guess that comes from living around mountains all the time.

I've lived here for 10 years now and only in the last 3 years have I felt like it is becoming to be like home. I've had to learn French since people DON'T speak English everywhere, like many Americans think. I've since gotten my English and Teaching degree via distant learning and now teach English as a foreign language at a private school for adults. I say "as a foreign language" (not as a second language) since many of the Swiss already know German and French, and perhaps another language. My husband speaks 5 languages.

Switerland is indeed a beautiful place. I like it here now, especially when politics are so crazy in so many other places. The Swiss are generally slow to make a decision and that can be a difficult thing but right now, it's a good thing.

We live in the "foot hills", near the French boarder, but, on a clear day, we do have an open view of the large lake of Neuchatel with the refleciton of the Alps from our balcony. If anyone is ever our way, please look us up (Michel and Cindy Horner, in the directory) and we'd be happy to show you around the area. I like the Swiss, but I really miss Americans too. I'd be nice to have you here.

Joyfully, Cindy (Briggs) Horner

There aren't many stories that I remember specifically, at least that I could tell in a few words: Gee, there was art class with Ms. Nesbitt and how she would use money from her own pocket to make sure we could learn RIGHT! on professional equipment. I spent a lot of time in her room working on projects and she would put my pictures up in the office show case.

The time I worked in the attendance office. A guy would send me anonymous "love" notes with the name: Cidny written on it. The first or second time, I thought it was a typo, but then later, I found out who was sending the notes and he told me that when he asked what my name was, I said "Cidny". I remembered that when he'd asked me, I had a cold. My nose was so stuffed up, I couldn't say my name right. He'd been calling me Cidny for a year before he got the name right.

There was the prom that wasn't. SOMEONE asked me to the prom and 2 weeks before, he told me he was taking a Sherry somebody in matching white tuxes. Well, I heard the prom was a blow-out...at Old Tucson, I think. I didn't mind so much. I did have some great times at all the other dances over the two years I was at CDO. I'd say, they were the best times. I was a real disco queen back in those days. I LOVED to dance. Still do! I loved the exchange program with Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. And there was that English teacher who wore bells to "ward off bad spirits". She said she worked with indian Shamens in the summers. She was a short woman. Do you remember her? Once she did an exercise in class where she asked the biggest guy in the class to push her. OK, no problem. Then, she asked him to try it again. This time, she became stiff as a board and "focused". The guy couldn't budge her! Mr. Hoffman was one of the most difficult but the best History teacher I'd ever had. I loved his passion for his subject.

I remember going on a mission trip with one of the new history teachers. He'd gathered clothing to take to Magdalaino, Mexico and offered any student to go with him. Linda Gough, Scott Gallaher and I took him up on it. We had a great time!

And then there was the 1 hour going to and 1.5 hour bus ride home every school day going from and to Catalina. I miss my bus buddies: John Wilkes, who turned me on to Jethro Tull, Tracy Morrison, Brian Perzan, Mathew Baker, Mathew Davis and some others whose names slip me at the moment. Remember when we got "mooned" by some of your buddies? They didn't know I was still in the bus.

There were many good times. I would like to find some people, specifically, Barbara Lane who trusted me with her car to get my driver's license and Kelly Mielke, one of my best buddies. Wendy Pearson, where are you? Cindy Bray? Marlene Rimer? Linda Sauceodo? Carol Frank, my Interlochen buddy? David Cummings? There are others who I had such good times with too. If you remember me, please feel free to contact me, OK? I'd be great to hear your memories.

Being at CDO was one of the most stableizing times of my life. I'd gone to 6 elementary schools, a different jr. high, and 3 other high schools before coming to CDO. I only went there for 2 years but it felt like it was home. The teachers were decent and kind. None of the students ever gave me a hard time. I got good grades. I still have a couple friends from my school days. If anyone is reading this, I'd like to say THANKS for making my last high school, the best!