Working on the last strip for "Iowa".
It was over twenty-five years ago when Janie introduced me to the friend that "Iowa" is for. I was in my late twenties, my friend was around fifty. She was the director/founder of the school that Janie worked at, and where I would work for the next 23 years. I found her to be smart, intimidating, and too authoritative, but I liked her. She thought I was smart, down to earth, and had problems with authority, but she liked me. We're both Irish, we both liked that. Over the years we had our ups and downs, me saying no to her, her saying I was stirring things up and maybe I should go, but there was always mutual respect. After Janie died, we found a new piece in our relationship, friendship. It has grown over the many seasons, especially after she stepped down from heading the school.
Yesterday we talked about old times, as we often do. She reminisced about my being down to earth, smart, and how great it was when I would stand up to authority. I shared my admiration for her brilliance, and appreciation for how she always took charge of situations and remained in control of things.
It's swell how time balances things out.
