How could I lose touch with a friend who introduced me to the love of my life, and was instrumental in giving me independence by putting me behind the wheel?
I met Sylvia when I was fresh out of school, and joined a firm of land surveyors as a learner draughtslady😉
She was a little older, much wiser, and a divorcee with three little girls. We immediately clicked and started socializing together, did some crazy things, and had loads of fun.
Stock Cars
Sylvia was, and I'm sure still is, full of spunk. We shared similar interests, except for...stock car racing, which terrified me, especially when I learnt my new friend raced in them! If you've never seen stock car racing, have a peek at the YouTube video and you'll see what I mean!
It's a contact sport, yes. The cars intentionally bump the one in front of them if they want to pass; it's beyond crazy!
Photo by Matthieu Rochette on Unsplash
Driver's License
I did not have my driving license, and she nagged me till I got my learner's.
That's when the fun started!
She drove an old Austin A35, and one lunchtime told me I was going for my first driving lesson. I did not even know why a car had gears, let alone how to change them. Sylvia was fearless, gave me a short demonstration, and told me to get into the driver's seat!
Anyone who lives in and around Durban knows all about the hills and the valleys, and naturally, the roads follow the same contours.
Taking off at a stop street on a hill was a huge challenge, so she'd tell me to slow down as we approached the stop street, she'd check if cars were coming and I could just go!
While I was being taught by Sylvia, a friend we worked with, was going for driving lessons. One day as we approached a steep intersection, Sylvia saw a car in the distance and told me to put foot and get across before they got there.
It was Joy and her instructor, they were flummoxed!
One morning when Sylvia got to work, she laughingly got out of her car and said her brakes weren't working!
How did she stop?
More laughter:
I used my gears and handbrake!
That's when I quickly made an appointment with the driving school. The instructor had a good laugh when I told her I was the driver who jumped the stop street in the little blue Austin when she was teaching Joy!
Cupid
Sylvia started dating a guy who had a school buddy that she thought would be the perfect match for me, and she played the role of Cupid.
I was the luckiest girl the day I was introduced to Arthur!
We were part of the wedding party when they married, followed by our wedding not very long afterward!
She arranged my kitchen tea (that's what bridal showers were called in the 70s), and dressed me up in kitchen towels, oven mitts, and all kinds of kitchenware! Not sure what she was stuffing in under my dishtowel 'top'; possibly pot scourers.
Our husbands were good friends and we all mingled in the same crowd but slowly grew apart when she found a job elsewhere and eventually moved to Cape Town.
Bowman's Butter
Sylvia worked as a sales rep for a while and saw a gap in the market. The bakeries at one of our largest food retailers had difficulty finding a supplier offering standardized garlic butter, so Bowman's Butter was born and has grown into a thriving family business! I am super proud of my friend, once a struggling divorcee with three little girls, who never gave up, and followed her dream!
Memoir Monday...
...for sure has seen me call back the past, and when I read @ericvancewalton's question Who is someone you’ve lost touch with but think about often, and what impact did they have on your life? I immediately knew who that person is!
We bumped into each other on FB, so occasionally have a little chat. I truly hope we can meet up even just one more time, and although Cape Town is a long way from Durban, I will take a trip there some time as I also have family there.
Sylvia Bowman added richness to my life and showed me how to face difficulties head-on, and if possible, turn them around.
The biggest gift was when she played Cupid and the arrow struck both our hearts, binding us together, literally till death us did part!
Thank you, my dear friend!
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Wow, what an amazing story! Sylvia sounds like one of those friends you never forget, and to think that thanks to her you met the love of your life! Those friendships are the ones that mark your life, don't you think?
I had a good laugh about the driving lessons, how brave Sylvia was to teach you to drive like that! And the butter thing, what an entrepreneur! It's great to see someone following their dreams and achieving their goals.
Sylvia for sure is a very brave lady! She beat the odds from being a struggling divorcee to now running a successful business!
Everyone in the office heard about that stop street, I was teased endlessly ;)
I'll forever be thankful to her for introducing me to my soulmate!
Thank you for reading and the nice feedback @lanzjoseg!
What a beautiful story of how you and Silvia met. Memories of youth that are never forgotten and I can imagine the nostalgia you must feel. Don't give up looking for her, you will see that someday you will find her and that meeting will be wonderful, you have so much to tell each other.
I am always looking for friends that I haven't seen for years and when I find them I feel a great joy. They always bring back good memories.
Thank you for sharing dear friend. Nice Thursday .🤗🥰
Thank you, my friend, I'm so glad Eric gave us this topic, I'd never thought of writing about it. I managed to track her down on Facebook, so we chat occasionally, I'm hoping to go down to Cape Town sometime to see her. It's too far to drive, but only a 2-hour flight, will be very special.
The story brought back many happy memories <3
Good memories and good afternoon for today, hope you all stay healthy and well.
Thank you for reading @mnurhiver
You're welcome my brother
@lizelle, you're rewarding 2 replies from this discussion thread.
She sounds quite a rowdy friend! Stock cars are pure bloody mental!
How interesting with the garlic butter, always good being a successful entrepreneur. Will be great when you see each oter again. A kitchen tea, I had never heard of that term before Lizzie.