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PAGE UPDATED BY MARIA SIEVERDING SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 1 P.M.

From the editor’s desk
Old friends, new friends – all treasured

Wanda English Burnett
EDITOR

Since coming back to the newspaper in December of last year, after a short hiatus in Florida, many things have changed. People have changed positions, some have moved away, and some have passed away. As I began this new chapter in my life I realized more than ever that the important things in life are not things at all, but, it’s about the people. I always loved the job at the newspaper because of the variety of people I met, the ones I worked with (some are quite the characters!). Some I met under unfortunate circumstances, some would rather I had never known their names. However, many have become lifetime friends that I never lost contact with, even while away from the area.

Wanda English Burnett The other day I had an officer say, “You know I consider myself and ones like you the Golden Oldies”. I had to agree. I’m glad he prefaced oldies with golden, it made me feel more like royalty than an old rag in the barn. But, it’s true. Some of my dearest friends and staunch confidants are those who I’ve known for a long time. They’ve been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt, so to speak. They are tried and true and have never failed me when I needed them. I hope I have never failed them either. It works both ways you know.

I met new friends in Florida. One couple my husband and I met on the beach on Thanksgiving Day. We were missing our family in a fierce way and couldn’t come home until December 14, which meant I knew I wasn’t going to be home for Christmas either that year. I had lost my father, who for those who say it gets better with time – you’re wrong! I will never get over not having this wonderful man in my life. Now he lives in my heart, but not seeing him daily is quite overwhelming. You had to know him. He should have taught classes on how to be a father. He was respected in the community, and lived the same life at home.

Back to our new friends. Bikers. Yep. That’s right. Bikers. We had taken the Harley over to the ocean to get our spirits up, and this couple pulled in right beside us – also on a Harley. We knew they were our kind of people. They jumped off and we immediately struck up a conversation. Now I learned early on in Florida, most of the people living there are not from there. They’ve migrated from other states, mostly the cold ones. This couple was from Mass. – only she pronounced it more Moss., in typical talk from the area. We began to talk finding out our commonalities and proceeded to take a photo on the beach. Then we invited them back to our home for dessert that evening, since I had made the traditional desserts for Thanksgiving, but didn’t have anyone to eat them. We found out we only lived a couple streets apart in the same city. We found out they loved to ride their motorcycle, and loved our hippie fringe approach. We all found out we loved to grill out, eat and swim. They had a pool and we had a fire pit. We were a perfect match. The friendship blossomed into them coming to our house for Thanksgivings after we moved back to Indiana – because now we were back with our family and had added more people to the roster of friends.

We don’t talk everyday or even every week, but when we get together it’s some of the best times. New friends are important. We can stay at their house anytime we go south or we can make their place our destination. They are that kind of friends. To me it’s like a collection. You keep gathering friends as you go along this road of life. You treat others good, they treat you good – friendships can stand the test of time if they are true.

Last night my neighbor called. “Wanda, have you had supper yet?” I had not. She brought down the best lasagna ever and we visited. Those visits are important to me. She told me about how she had lived in the severely flooded coastal cities in Texas when her husband was in the Navy. She talked about how beautiful it was and that’s where they learned to cook a lot of great dishes. Jack has gone on to his eternal reward now, but he was one “mean” cook. He always cooked more than they could eat and we were often the recipients of his cooking.

I thought a lot about our neighbors after she left last night. I thought about how they were “old” friends. The kind you want living next door.
And so as we walk this road of life I treasure the many friends, acquaintances and business network partners I have met over the years. I hold memories dear. But I also look forward to making new memories, some with old friends and some with friends I haven’t even met quite yet.

FUEL UP! Current trends in sports medicine

Hosted by Hanover College, King’s Daughters’ Health will present “FUEL UP!” current trends in sports nutrition” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Horner Center on the Hanover College campus.

SUBMITTED PHOTO
Pictured left is Dawn Weatherwax.

The program is free for all student athletes, parents, and community members. Parents are encouraged to attend. The event is sponsored by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. Dawn Weatherwax, RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS, is a Registered Dietitian with a specialty in sports nutrition and Founder of Sports Nutrition 2Go. Her clients have included former NFL and Major League Baseball players, and she has spoken at over 200 college/universities.

Did you know?
• Sports nutrition can increase performance by up to 15 percent.
• About 66 percent of athletes are dehydrated during competition.
• When 1 percent dehydrated, athletic performance can decline up to 12 percent.
• Seventy-five percent of athletes do not eat the right mixture of foods

“When it comes to improving athletic performance and reducing injury, knowing when, what and how often to eat (and drink) is one of the best kept secrets in the sports industry,” Weatherwax says. “You, too, would be amazed if you knew what I know about sports nutrition and the impact it can have on an athlete’s game.”

Local high school and college coaches are encouraged to bring their teams for this insightful presentation.