When I worked with her at the Xenia Kroger store from the beginning of 2000 until the latter part of June that year, her married name was Myla Chambliss. I was one of the assistant customer service managers and she was an office helper, so we spent lots of time in the office together. Even though we were both married at the time, we got along together like peas and carrots. When I checked the schedule to see who I was working with each week, I was always looking for Myla.
When I left Xenia to enter the management training program, I seldom saw her or kept in touch although I’d swing in every now and again. She soon left the office to work in the general merchandise department and then left the company altogether.
This was taken a few years before I knew Myla, but its pretty close to how I remember her
When I began my list of hoped-for reunions in early 2007, Myla made my list – but for the longest time, although I looked for her under by the only name I knew, I had no leads whatsoever on her. In fact since she had become single again, she was no longer using the name by which I knew her. Eventually I found out that she was now Myla Tuck (her maiden name) again and I actually located her from a classified ad she had placed locally on the internet. She answered a note from me but then we fell quickly out of touch.
Eventually we became friends on MySpace and I found out she owned a used clothing store in Vandalia with her boyfriend Greg, with whom she now has a daughter. We attempted to meet up once at that time – but those plans fell through. And wouldn’t you know it, the two of them escaped to Florida before I ever got to see her. There she now works as a quite lucrative bartender and stays warm almost the year round – except when she comes home to Ohio. I got her hooked up on Facebook (which she did reluctantly) and now we keep in closer touch.
This Christmas during her visit with her Ohio friends and family, I made sure that I finally got to see her – ten years after we had last seen one another. On December 26, 2009, I headed out to meet her and some friends at the Sports ‘n’ Spirits Pub in Kettering. It was wonderful to hang out for a while, catching up and enjoying her warm smile and sense of humor again. A few days later she packed up and headed back to Florida, leaving the rest of us behind to suffer the winter. Hopefully she’ll bring back the warmth during her next return visit.
2009 will continue with the next reunion…
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