HOW FAR AWAY WERE YOU?

My friend Larry Chapman posted a BLOG article HOW FAR AWAY WERE YOU? (CLICK HERE to read) about meeting people in other locations who knew him, recognized him, or knew about Greenfield.

Gerald swears that any place we go I'll meet someone I know. He said, "If we went to New York City, you'd run in to someone you know."

In 1978, I was in Gayfer's Department Store in Pensacola, FL, with my niece, and as we were looking at items, I remarked, "Oh, I saw the same thing at Lazarus." A woman close by asked, "Are you from Columbus?" I answered, "No, I'm from someplace you've probably never heard of--Washington Court House." She let out a little scream and said, "I'M from Washington Court House TOO!" That chance encounter was the beginning of a 35-year, long-distance relationship.

She lived in neighboring Fort Walton, FL. For years I would deliver items to and from her relatives locally and she would do the same for me. [It's truly amazing the things people leave behind when visiting.] She would visit me when she came to Ohio and I would visit her when I went to Florida. She died last year after a lengthy illness.

I especially miss her Christmas cards which always had seashells on them. My downstairs bathroom has a seashell theme and I decorate every room for Christmas. This year, I used her Christmas cards to make a border around the room.