In today’s episode of the Compendium Podcast, host Joseph Baker interviews Jeanie Cisco-Meth.

Jeanie was born Avis Marjean Cisco. Martha, Jeanie’s mother, wanted to name her after her own mother who had died when Martha was only nine. Jeanie’s father, Delbert, wanted to call her Jeanie. They reached a compromise and she was called Jeanie but named Avis. This led to some confusion when Jeanie’s mother enrolled her in Morton Jr.-Sr. High School in Morton, Washington.

Martha said, “I am here to register Avis Cisco for school.”
Jeanie replied, “My name is Jeanie.”
Martha said, “Your real name is Avis, but you are called Jeanie.”
Jeanie said, “Really? OK.”

She was born in Twin Falls, Idaho, but was raised on a dairy farm in Morton, Washington. She spent almost every day riding her pony, Dusty, and later her horse, Sugar. She has many fond memories of the farm and feels blessed to have been raised there. She says, “I believe that the farm helped make me who I am today. It gave me responsibility at an early age and taught me to care for life.”

She talks about bringing every stray home she could get a rope on.
“Look, Dad, it followed me home.”
“Why is there a rope on it?”
“I don’t know.”

Animals where her true friends. She spent many hours with them because, “They never yelled at me or put me down. They just loved me. They couldn’t read or write either.” Jeanie had many learning disabilities growing up and struggled in school. She was told by teachers she would never make it past high school and would be lucky to make it there. She remembers how hard it was just to get passing grades. “I felt like just giving up many times then someone would tell me I was stupid or laugh when I tried to read and it would tick me off. I became determined to make just to prove everyone wrong.” She also enjoyed basketball and remembers talking with Coach’s wife on a trip back home from college.

“I remember the day you showed up at school,” Coach’s wife said. “My husband came home so excited. He said, ‘We have a tall one.’ He could hardly wait for basketball to start.”

Morton Jr.-Sr. High had three hundred enrolled students in grades seven through twelve. Jeanie’s graduating class was twenty-five students in the spring of 1985.

Jeanie remembers tryouts a little differently. Even though she loved basketball, she had never played organized ball. It was a big change for her. She had never had a coach. Before making the Morton basketball team she figured it out the best she could by watching others. She says, “Coach used to tell me, ‘Jump higher. I can’t even slip my clipboard under your feet.’ It was real nice to hear Coach was excited for me to play. It was his belief in me that helped me become a better player. I went from riding the pine for junior varsity in my junior year to starting varsity in my senior. Coach and I spent a lot of time in the gym that summer and it all paid off.”

She used the same tenacity to make the team she used to make it through classes. During basketball she found her strength. She learned she could push her body to do things to get positive recognition. She could lift more weight and do more push-ups than most.

When she was in the Military, she did 1000 push-ups a day so she could max the men’s physical fitness test. “I never felt it was right to have different standards for women as for men. We were expected to do the same jobs so we should have the same standards.” A perfect score on the physical fitness was 300. Her highest score was 297. The run was always the most difficult. Military personal are required to test periodically during their training. The physical fitness test is two minutes of push-ups, two minutes of sit-ups, and a two mile run. “I could do 97 sit-ups, 92 push-ups, and the run in 11:58. I always missed points on the run.”

She found joy in accomplishing hard things. “It was easier for me to push my body than my mind. I struggled so much and took verbal abuse from so many because my brain didn’t work the way everyone else’s did. I got tired of being the outsider so I found something I was good at and excelled at it.”

“The thought of writing a book scared the crap out of me. It took a while for others to convince me I had to do it. I did it because I want to help others. I want to heal others from their pain and a book can help me do that. It can reach more people than I can. It can be read again and again and given to friends and family. That is my wish, to start a ripple that spreads through homes, communities, states, countries, and the world. I want others to build themselves up so they can still stand when discouraging things are said to them. I want to help you build your confidence and personal value. Thank you for listening.”

Jeanie understands the value of hard work and determination. It is what brought her to where she is today. She knows more of the same will propel her toward her new dreams.

She married Laurence Meth on October 13, 2002, and says it was one of the best decisions she ever made. They reside in Cedar Hills, Utah. They still have two kids at home, as well as a dog and a cat. They also have a son who lives in Colorado and one who lives in Roy, Utah.

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