Farewell To Myrna
Myrna Greene - a native of rural Mississippi hated the spotlight. So she's really going to hate this.
My heart is just absolutely crushed after learning that one of the most delightful human beings I ever met during my travels recently passed away. If you'll indulge me for a few minutes, I'd like to tell you about Myrna Green and why she stands out on a long list of kind and wonderful people I've had the pleasure of meeting as I've made my way around the country and the world.
In 2015, I had only been covering travel and tourism for a couple of years and was still navigating a relatively new career. I had never heard of a place called Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. However, a scheduled visit to New Orleans was canceled at the last minute while I was already on the road and I was scrambling for an alternative. After seeing Bay St. Louis on the map, I reached out blindly to their local tourism office and spoke with Myrna. She told me that she'd be delighted to have me visit and so I did.
It was one of the most memorable trips I've ever made. It was the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and I was forever changed after hearing stories about survival and human kindness. It was the first time I experienced people crying as I interviewed them. Myrna was a gracious host and made sure I was connected to as many interesting locals as possible.
Though I didn't fully realize it at the time, Myrna was sick. We were meeting for the first time and having lunch in downtown Bay St. Louis. But Myrna didn't order anything. She simply had a cup that she carried in that she drank from. She occasionally coughed. She never mentioned anything about it. And I never asked.
By the end of the visit I had also met her partner, Richard. Richard was the kind of guy that you'd want as your next door neighbor. A former pilot, he was incredibly jovial and never seemed to stop smiling. He absolutely loved Myrna and treated her like royalty.
What happened next is something that actual happens fairly often as I travel and meet new friends. Myrna said that she'd love for me to return to Mississippi and next time, she would love if I came to stay with her and Richard on their farm.
Over the next few years, I did just that on several occasions. Richard would grill steaks. Myrna taught me how to properly make sweet tea. (She joked that she was an expert in sugary things because she now had to wear dentures.) She loved sharing stories about her life and took great interest in hearing about my own adventures.
I remember one day she reached out in a panic, furious that someone had stolen one of my book ideas. She had gotten an email promoting a "100 Things To Do" book -- not realizing that there were hundreds of them and if anyone had stolen the idea - it was me. On one visit she helped arrange a book signing and gathered a large crowd of locals that I spoke to about travel in their local small town theater. She presented me with a painting at the end of the event. I still have it.
A couple of years ago, I made my last visit to the area. I met with Myrna and Richard at the local tourism office where she still worked. But she wasn't well. She was frail. She moved slowly and didn't have much energy.
While waiting on Myrna to lock up the office, I sat in the lobby with Richard who was clearly heartbroken. I'll never forget him blurting out to me - "I don't know what I'm going to do without her." I sat there helpless knowing there was nothing I could do to cure his sadness.
They both took me to dinner that night and like the other times, Myrna ordered nothing. I'd learned over time that she had an illness that wouldn't allow her to eat solid foods. I felt so guilty and so sad. I was also so inspired that someone could be in such pain and never complain.
After heading back to their home to stay for the night, I knew it would probably be the last time I saw her. I remember giving her a copy of my latest book and she was adamant that I sign it for her. She made sure I knew that she displayed all of my books. She also comforted me that night as I was struggling with some personal sadness at the time that had me feeling down. With everything she had going on internally, she still stayed strong and cared for the people she loved.
This year, like many of you, I've had to face the fact that people come into your life for certain reasons and often it's short lived. While it's hard to simply be grateful for good times and memories, the fact is that every story has to have an ending. All we can do is try to make every one of those stories the best we can.
Myrna -- thank you for welcoming me into your home and while you'll be missed - I'm so happy your suffering is finally over. Well, almost - I know you're super pissed right now that I shared a photo of you on social media. That's one thing she never wanted any part of it.
Sorry but you'll just have to get over it.
Til we meet again..