Julie

Julie graduates and leaves us for the big city

What G-Nickname are you? "Homie G"

Memories:
The first girl I met was this one, Julie G. She started the whole "G" nickname phenomenon. I pulled up in a car filled with the contents of my bedroom, shaken and scared to leave home. She was completely casual and friendly and helped me unload it in no time. Room 13--the hottest in the house--right above the boiler. We ate dinner together, watched movies together, even brushed our teeth together. She liked to giggle about the small things, like one girl's comment about the bugs that make their way into peanut butter... "Mmm, extra protein," we joked. I then went about making up several colored announcements about the extra protein of our future sandwiches to be collected throughout the house and taped the papers above our door. Then I made some more announcements that room thirteen was the property of the coolest of cools, Homie G.

She took away so much of the stress of my life. Laughing with her was therapeutic, though I don't know if she ever realized what she was doing for me. I know I spent many of those first nights unable to sleep, trying to reconcile my new unleashed freedom with my former abandoned life, listening to Sarah McLaughlin and being sad till the sun broke. She caught me. She eventually asked me what was bothering me. She sat right next to me as I received my first few phone calls from my parents. I am indebted to her in a way I will never be able to repay.

It didn't take long for her to wander into asking me if I had heard about Jesus. I said that I had a little bit. She asked me if I believed in Him. I didn't quite understand, but I said "I think He's real." She later found it a frustrating but important mission to introduce me to the concept that if I did believe in Him then I should also live to please Him, and things like going to a frat party wasn't the best of choices. I had no idea why, in fact I had never been to a party before in my life. After a while though, I came around and her patience, filled with compassion, paid its worth.

Julie was always an adventurer at heart. One day the sun was shining and she said, "Do you see that hilltop over there? I want to climb it to the top." So the three of us did, though in order to succeed we had to make our way through a few yards and several patches of blackberry thorns. She rallied the house to try new things. When we were in SunRiver I tried renting cross-country skis for the hills covered in snow. I had a long, sad Peanuts Charlie Brown tredge on the sidewalk back; I didn't get it. She loved to go on hikes and see new places. The first summer together when I had moved home she came with my family to Silver Falls State Park and did the seven mile hike like a breeze. She also loved to ride her bike and always rode it cross campus. She and I loved the outdoors. We spent time discussing the geology and vegetation everywhere we traveled. Jenn had enough one time and said, "Uhh, I didn't know two people could talk so long about plants and trees!!"

Julie has a special talent to be connected no matter where she goes. Jenn and I are constantly astounded that when we're in a new area talking to strangers she and they end up knowing mutual people. A couple years ago Julie spent a few weeks traveling alone through Europe, and wouldn't you know it that she met a young woman her age who had gone to her church in Eugene for several years. They continued on through a few countries enjoying the company. She remembers every detail ever said by all the people she knows, and she has friends in every town, soon to be every nation! Though I believe she could do well without the insanely tiring attention of Jamaican men. My skinny 5'11" beautiful friends attract attention wherever they go!

I'll never forget what she did for me when we had only known each other for a few months. On Wednesday nights she would come over to my parents' house and sweep me away to church, the first time I attended anywhere in consistency: The People's Church, which was Assembly of God in affiliation. I saw her and many others worshiping. I was not quite so outward in my expression of affection but way down deep inside I was utterly moved. Many times the congregation expressed its worship in dance. I remember Julie getting out in the isles and dancing and inviting me to come with. One time many members came down to the altar area and made a giant circle and everybody held hands and did a dance. I'll never forget these times My Julie G. She took me to her churches whenever we lived together, and I learned so much, and grew so much.

She didn't know her father nearly at all, since he left her mom when she was very young. She wore her weaknesses outwardly, and was not afraid to do so, because she knew that prayer and worship were her way out of the troubles of life.

She is devoted as the LORD is to listen to everyone and not judge them. She is humble and open to anything as long as it isn't improper. To her credit she endured years of living in the La Femme Nikita Lair, as it soon became unavoidedly known when I made several poster collages of images from the tv show and hung them outside in the hallway.

Currently:
Living in Seattle as a manager of other civil engineers working on bridges in the area, for WSDOT. Here are two video projects she oversaw concerning their work:





Amazing!