Tag Archives: Wendy Welch

Back SEAT Drivers–

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Jack gets in just over the line again – –

Continuing from last week – –

When Wendy first came to Scotland and we prepared to get married, she got an earlier model SEAT Ibiza car. Part of the deal for her PhD studies was that she should teach a semester of classes for undergrad students, which meant going back to Newfoundland for a few months.

She was in the habit of getting drive-thru food when on the road and also in the habit of dumping the empty bags and containers over her shoulder into the back of the car. So while she was gone I gave her SEAT a thorough clean, and when she came back she found it sparkling (true love!). I had hooked an empty bag on the glove box handle as a hint – –

Within a week the bag was full, and so was the back of the car! Never try to change your life partner…

Then there was the time she went into town. Our nearest town of any size was Cupar, and it had a marvelous bakery shop called Fisher and Donaldson.

I was surprised when she came home in a taxi with the excellent rhubarb pies they made. She had come out of the bakery, walked over the sidewalk, and dropped the only key for the car down a drain! It took us three weeks to get a replacement key, and meanwhile the car sat by the side of the road back in town. But she did buy me an extra rhubarb tart.

Twenty six years later, and I have just cleaned out our newest car – a Prius Prime. I lifted out all the stuff and killed our fairly new vacuum in the process! I found some home-made rhubarb pies – – –

Let the circle be unbroken – –

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack

The Mom in the Hallway

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Writer Wendy’s weekly installment

Walking briskly down the beige hallway of the conference center, I passed a half dozen people in suits on their cell phones. We were all there to lobby—excuse me, educate—legislators regarding rural health needs across the nation: give us more money, restrict the urban usurpation of that money under empty promises of making doctors do a “hardship” postings in Appalachia in return for debt release. All that.

People were cutting deals, cutting croissants, pouring coffee, planning strategies. The place was buzzing. The only reason I noticed her was her laugh.

“Yep, that IS a great lunch,” she said. “You got that from me, peanut butter and banana.”

I slowed, struck by the contrast between her—cheery voice, red curly hair flying away from her head in the dry air of the conference center—and the tall guy in the grey suit next to her, pacing as he said, “Tell them that ROI is insufficient.”

The plump woman in the brown skirt and blazer spoke again. “Well, move back from the camera so I can see it….. Oh, that is cute. Nana did that? Yeah, we can do it like that, too. Did she give you the bow?”

The child’s voice was indistinguishable from the Tannoy suddenly announcing that the meeting would start in two minutes.

Suited Mommy said, “Ok, you got your book for reading time? Excellent choice. What’s that make, 500 times? Ok, sweetie, love you, have a great day today….. Yes, I will, too. And I’ll be thinking of you.”

She pushed a button, adjusted her purse and folder, and moved toward the meeting on short legs in high heels, brown pencil skirt restricting her stride. But she looked like she had the world together.

Say what you will about tech, about the world of work, about silly conferences full of pompous people pretending to change the world. There was a whole world happening in the hallway.

And sometimes, just sometimes, cynical people like me need to be reminded what’s worth fighting for. That bow I never saw was on my mind all day as I explained to legislator after legislator that no, we don’t have an OBGYN residency program in SWVA and no, we don’t benefit from the fact that they currently fund a bunch of those in “Rural Tracks” throughout the state.

I hope that kid grows up to know her mama helped change her world.

Come back next Friday for more from Wendy Welch