Who among us hasn't been scared to death, out of our element and just looking for somebody who cares. My Daddy told me back when I was a kid seeking religion that when you do something good for somebody it's best to do it in the closet away from the adoring crowd and enjoy the warm fuzzies alone. It seems to work out best that way with Big Ernie, in my experience.

Here's a case in point, a tale woven with threads of friendship over the years. I first met this couple at church when me and BabyGirl were regular attendees up on the corner of Main and McGaughey with the Methodists. Her Daddy was never there after our wedding day, very much. He got raised up in a place where fingers got pointed at everybody who even DARED to look like they were having fun and you had to march down there and confess all of it in front of everybody. Promise to do better too. Now, that confessional thing works well for Catholics because it's just you and the priest but DANG. Don't make me go up front and ask for forgiveness from the blue haired ladies in the back row. Even Jesus wouldn't ask that of his kids. If you believe in Jesus, that is.

Anyway...back to the story of that couple. They met in college, married and had a child. Her name is Anna Lee and his is Jason. We met in Sunday School when she was pregnant with child number two and we were all desperately searching for who we would be as adults. I went to the house when Ashton was born to bring some food and meet the dog. Later on, Ashton got really sick and came to the hospital with her scared to death parents. It just so happened that I was the one sent to draw blood from her little bitty self and boy were they happy to see me! A friendly face can do wonders at times like that, ya know? Another time they were up there visiting their friend Junior when he was dyin' and low and behold, I ran into them then too. Old Junior was one of a kind...Lake County through and through.

Before we knew it, they were splitting up and going separate ways. Her folks lived in North Carolina so she headed that way with the girls after saying goodbye to her dear friends in the 'burg. Everybody at church whispered about how Jason had a girlfriend and did Anna Lee and those babies wrong with his mixed up notions about women and God. The way she told it, he was just never the same after his daddy died.

....to be continued.

P.S. My apologies to Clyde Edgerton.