MAE JULIAN
There’s No Friend Like An Old Friend
Dear Waynedalers,
I think I was about in the 4th grade when I first met Nancy Lee. She lived on Ideal Avenue and we became friends when I sat behind her at some event being presented in the old Waynedale School gym. She sat directly in front of me, and I noted that she had something that none of the other girls of our age did. So….I snapped it sharply from behind. She turned around, ready to be angry, but when she saw me laughing, she laughed too. That began a wonderful friendship. We are now in our early 60’s, so I think we qualify as life-long friends.
I am in Northern Indiana this week. As you will remember, we have a lake house here. I have been telling you that it is going to be torn down and a new one built. It was long overdue, with the sagging roof, leaks, windows rotting out, etc. Nancy said she would come and help with the tear down. You should see her go with a sledgehammer. She is amazing. I knew she liked physical labor, and had helped her daughter build a house, but it is an amazement to see how proficient she is with a sledgehammer, a crowbar, and a shovel. I wish I had a video, but we took some pictures and if we coordinate everything right, it will appear with this column.
For the first time in my life I am going to be living in a brand new home. Not just a brand new home, but one that we helped tear down, and build. It never occurred to me how many decisions have to be made. It staggers my poor brain. You have to decide what kind of wood you want for cabinets, what kind of windows, what kind of pull handles, what kind of flooring and ceilings. It seems to me that life used to be a lot simpler than it is now. Remember when we used to go to the store and buy Corn Flakes? ‑Only one choice of them. Now things are such that you have so many choices and so many things to decide upon that you can walk out empty-handed and baffled! ‑I’m doing my best, my friends. All this stuff is important. Along with all this, I have the feeling, deep in my heart, that this will be the last house we will ever own. I remember when my husband’s father told us that “this is the last car I will ever have to buy” and I thought at the time, that it must be hard to know you are doing things for the last time. Thank heavens I have something to do for the first time, even though I am aware it will be the last time too. My, am I sounding morbid? ‑There is something about making these huge decisions that make you aware of the passing of time, and gauging how much time you have left.
I know one thing for sure. My old friend, Nancy, whose last name is now Lawrence, will be there ’till the last page for one of us. We have spent a lifetime of laughter, fun, pain, tears, marriages, friends, kids, grandkids…well, I could go on and on and bore you to death. I want to say that if you have one faithful friend who is there to tear down a house with you, that’s one special friend. For me, I have Opie, Betsy and Billie, too. I am lucky indeed. I wouldn’t slight them in the “forever friendship” list just because they weren’t here heaving the sledgehammer. I wasn’t doing it either. I was watching the amazing Nancy Lee ! Oh, yes, the guys did a lot of sledging too!
Best to all my Waynedale friends,
Mae
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