Friends & Cousins

Friends - - Lori Whittaker, Nyle Storer (2nd cousin), Peggy, LaNae Cook, Leslie Anderson, Sherry Cousins - - Nyle Storer (2nd cousin....my grandpa & her dad were brothers), Julie Metcalf, Kim Smith Most of the time the ones I hung out with were Lori, Nyle & Julie. There others were once in awhile. Lori, Nyle & I lived fairly close to each other. Our meeting place was the church which was halfway for each of us. Whenever it was dark, we would walk each other halfway to our meeting place. Me, being who I am, once I said good-bye, I booked it home and as fast as I could. Lori was a dancer and so pretty, Nyle was the youngest of 12 kids, I think. Julie was my mainstay - people on the street, at the store, wherever, thought we were twins. I would have sleepovers at her house and her at grandmas with me. She even braved it a few times and would stay with me at my dads place.. I've never truly thanked her for that! We would laugh and laugh at how completely different my life with grandparents and mom were compared to my dads place. She helped me get through those times; however, I was always jealous of the times Aunt Ruth would pick Julie up from my dads much earlier than when dad would take me home. LaNae lived across the street from me - - her mom was an alcoholic and she scared me. Leslie was LaNaes best friend, so once in awhile I would play with the two of them. We all came from non-traditional homes. I always longed for the traditional, but now I'm grateful for the non-traditional and very loving home I was raised in. I wouldn't want it any other way.