Ok folks, I want to warn you, today I’m thinking about a liberal.  Consider yourself fore-warned. This “thinking about a liberal” thing is not something I enjoy.

I saw her obituary on the internet the day she died.  She lived in Georgia.  The last time we talked, she was healthy as a horse and stubborn as a mule.

Jimmie was the most liberalized Democratic friend I have ever known.  And, for me, liberal, Democrat and friend hardly ever end up in the same sentence, unless there are some words interspersed.  Jimmie lived, breathed and died a liberal Democrat.

I was stunned,  I thought she was too ornery to pass away at seventy-eight.  I bet a new penny she argued with the angels as they swooped down to get her.  And, she could hold her own in an argument.

She was the type that loved to stand up and get right in your face.  She was quick to tell you she was right and you were wrong.

If she didn’t think it was her time to die, then I’m sure they’re still discussing it above Cloud Nine.

“I’m not through yet.  Don’t mess with me!  You don’t know what you’re talking about. You are just plain-out wrong, I’m telling you!”  I can hear her right now.

Now, let me tell you about Jimmie.   We’re from the same home town.  There’s 12 years difference in our ages.

Brookhaven was a small little town, like Mayberry, before they had a sheriff on TV.  Jimmie grew up right downtown.  Brookhaven had only one fire truck and a fireman who lived above the fire station.

Her Dad was the fireman.

She graduated high school. Went off to college when most girls didn’t.  Especially girls who grew up in fire stations.  I can’t say her liberal leanings started there or sometimes afterwards. She told me she started correcting people’s wrong ideas when she was in high school.

We got to know each other because we write for others to read.  She wrote a couple of books about growing up in our hometown.  She liked to tell stories about the old days, when things were simple.

We didn’t see eye to eye on many things, other than the pleasures that come with writing.

She taught and sponsored debate clubs in college.  You can’t get very far arguing with a debate club coach.  She was quick to tell me “that’s irrelevant to this conversation, get back on track, argue the facts, not your opinion or another idiot’s opinion.”

She made me think.  No, I never changed my mind, but I did think about her point of view.

She would make me so mad I couldn’t see straight.

One day there was a three way discussion going, Jimmie, a lawyer-friend and myself.  I felt like a bystander.  They knew what they were talking about.  It was a close encounter of the verbal kind.  Even the lawyer got frustrated with Jimmie’s political thoughts.  I had already lost it!

I am going to miss her.

Please feel free to share.  I welcome your comments and thoughts.  Contact Mike Windham at amwindham100@gmail.com.  You can follow my blog at mikewindham.com.