Seniors - Carole's Journey

The remaining one person would say "no, my life hasn't been special, it has just been ordinary and there isn't anything special or interesting about me." That person would be Carole Miller, and she also would be wrong!

Carole Miller... or is it Mrs. Carole Miller, wife to Jim for over forty years... or is it Ms. Miller, dental hygienist who I would visit a couple of times a year in the same dental office for over thirty years... or is it Reverend Carole Miller, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Schenectady? Or perhaps, as in fact, it is all of the above.

When I recently sat with Carole to talk about her "ordinary life," two emotions overtook me. First was the sense of humility present in this woman. And second was the sense of peace and the infectious quality it was having on me. I have known Carole for a number of years. Rather, I should say, I've known her husband Jim and I also knew that he had a wife named Carole. She and I never really got to know each other well. Jim and I were always off doing our man thing together and I would occasionally see Carole and say hello. It was in my conversations with Jim that I became more aware of Carole and her life experiences which to me are indeed very interesting.

So when I was asked by my editor to write a piece about someone that I know who has led an interesting life, she came to mind. I had a delightful and fulfilling conversation with her and we touched on a number of things that make her "special." While I sat with her, she repeatedly referred to her life as "the journey."

Born and raised a Roman Catholic, Carole always had religion in her life and always used the church as a support system. The unfortunate life experience is that she was the product of a broken family resulting from her mother leaving when Carole was only four years old. On top of being left without a mother, she was also subjected to all of the issues one would face being raised in a single parent home compounded by her father needing to be away working to support Carole and her sisters. It was natural that something important was missing and she lives with that to this day. The church was there for her but still, something was missing.

She and Jim grew up in Saratoga, in fact on the same street. They knew each other from the time they were little kids, they dated in high school and were ultimately married on her birthday in 1966 when she was eighteen years old. 

One stop along the way in her journey resulted from she and Jim horsing around one day and he accidentally hit her in the mouth and broke one of her front teeth. She had to immediately rush to a dentist for repair in the midst of which it dawned on her that this was something she would like to do to help other people. So she began her first career by becoming a dental hygienist. 

After their marriage, Jim's mother and grandmother came into her life becoming a very positive influence. In 1981, her mother-in-law suggested that she attend the Miller family church "just to sing in the choir." Carole finally agreed and as she attended the church services, she began to realize that what was missing in her Catholic experience was being met in this new church community. As I listened to Carole describe this period in her life, I could see by the expression on her face that this was the time when she began to find the peace that is within her now. She also said something that sort of took me by surprise. While talking about the strong influence of her mother-in-law and Jim's grandmother, she added "but it was Jim who led me to prayer." But it didn't end here.

In 1994, she was invited to attend a church meeting in Boston. So strong had the sense of belonging become that when she returned home, she told Jim that this was a path she was destined to follow. Almost immediately following that trip and with Jim's total support, she entered the American Baptist Seminary and four years later in 1998, at the ripe old age of fifty, she began her second career as she was ordained as an American Baptist Minister and now has served the people of her congregation for over nine years. 

There's a lot more to this self described "introvert." Carole shared some personal experiences with me that I choose not to include in this article. When we talked about them she asked me not to make this "too personal." It's difficult to leave these experiences out because they are what have made this woman who she is. I guess you will just have to meet and get to know her on your own and see for yourself why this woman makes our community so much better.

Near the end of our conversation, I asked Carole if her journey was over. She looked at me with this puzzled expression on her face saying "Oh, no. I can't imagine it being over." I then asked her if it weren't over, where did she see it taking her? She pondered this for a while and then looked up at me and said simply "I don't know, but I'm open to wherever it might be."

One woman... One church... One God... On a simple journey. And I can only hope, a friend forever.