Cast of characters: Audrey

Meet my Audrey. When I first met her, we were both well past high school. I was 10 years past, to be exact. We met in Sebring while working together at the Work Evaluation Center at a job well below both of our abilities (my first job after my kids were in school) and thus, were able to spend time together laughing and generally yukking it up. If we'd passed each other daily in the grocery store, we would never have guessed we would be best friends! Audrey is a few years older than me, and when we first met is the only time she pulled rank on me, sitting me down and explaining to me how "work" goes -- don't go over your supervisor's head even though you're on first name basis with the superintendent, etc. And I didn't resent it -- I was grateful! It goes against my grain to be anyone's employee (and anyone's boss!) but I worked at it and learned the ropes of the workplace.

Basically, Audrey saved my life. She reminded me how to have fun! Just being with her was fun! :) She helped me find the "real me," and to this day I can't be near her, even when life seems grim, without bursting into a smile at how GOOD life can be. I was never bored with Audrey in my life! When we weren't making fun projects out of the most boring of work like copying one zillion copies of instruction sheets (which we duplicated in jewel colors, giggling over each color choice)we were meeting at Sebring's all-night diner at 1:00 a.m. when the kids and husbands were asleep, just for a chance to chat and laugh.

One of our best memories is the day she turned 40. She was bored, feeling "been there done that." I asked her what she would REALLY like to do and she looked at me and said, "Fly!" Fly? (Oh, yes! She had been a stewardess with Eastern back when they were called "stewardess" and wore high heels and served champagne on flights between NY and Miami). Of course I thought flying was associated with fear but if she wanted to fly, I said, "Do it!" So we drove up to the Avon Park Flying Service to talk about flying lessons. She came out to the car and said, "They'd take me up for an intro lesson right now but I've got these heels on." (She was always dressed and made up like...well, like she is in this photo taken just last month!) So I reached downd pulled off my Chinese laundry mary jane's, two sizes to big for her, and said, "put these on and GO!" And fly she did! And she continued until she got her pilot's license, and I went up with her in the Cessna 150 the first week she had her license! I clung tightly to a Pepsi bottle, but forgot to fasten my seat belt, which made us giggle like crazy -- but then, nearly everything made us laugh. :) Walt says he couldn't believe, when he met me, that I was zipping around the Florida skies with this woman while claiming to fear flying. (I couldn't stand to be left behind!)

Since those days, life has moved on. Audrey ended up getting jobs as marketing director of various life care faciilities around the country -- and even that had it's beginnings in our relationship. As a member of the Sebring Zoning Board, I had written the code interpretation that allowed The Palms of Sebring to be built downtown, and after a few months there as asst. marketing director, she said, "Pah! I can do his job!" and began applying for director jobs. She landed a big one when she'd given Walt and me as a reference (Pelican Post Motel) and the guy called and got Walt on a day when he was grumpy, but he lit up when asked about Audrey, lauding her talents, thus sealing the deal on her job offer.

Eventually she pooped out on working and settled back "home" in Panama City Beach. She now lives in Navarre, a tiny strip of land on the northern Gulf coast near Pensacola, married to Paul and keeping close watch on her 5 grandsons and her parents, and flying back and forth to Colorado to help her older daughter Tess with her ranch and horse business. We rarely see each other, but try to stay in touch. And when anyone says, "Remember a time when you were having the best time," it's always a time with Audrey that comes to my mind. :)