Being Positive is being Progressive

Only on one occasion have I had the pleasure of running into Carrie Johnson. But based on that one meet-cute in the local Lil’ Champ, Johnson buying her lotto tickets, something drew me to her. The 75-year-old had several friends among the other Lil’ Champ customers, and she greeted them warmly while recounting her most recent escapades to the cashier. All this was about two weeks ago, and I remember being in a slightly stressed mood earlier that day. But the elderly yet energetic lady who stood in front of me in line took my mind off the stress, if only for the moment, and it’s the little moments of endearment that help us keep our sanity when life gets hectic.

Earlier that day, I was thinking that looking at the bright side of life isn’t always easy. Little did I know that Johnson, who was boisterous and frankly very happy, had been dealt a difficult hand in life and made the most of it. In fact, she knows all about progressively shaping what she was dealt into a vibrant life filled with a loving family and whole community full of admirers. Abandoned by her mother at birth and raised by her stepmother and inattentive father, Johnson faced a difficult life as soon as she came into the world. She had her first child out of wedlock, married another man and brought five more children into the world. Johnson left her husband for his infidelity but continued to be a solid support for her children.

It’s no secret that Johnson has the power to hold her own, as well as a certain mystique about what keeps her going. What is clear about Johnson is that her contagious optimism does nothing short of contribute to that power to bring more positivity into her life. It’s clear that helping others and telling her stories makes Johnson happy, and most of St. Augustine is happy to hear them. Recognized collectively as “The Voice of Lincolnville,” Johnson’s recent birthday on the 20^th of February was celebrated at the Willie Galimore Community Center, where she requested guests to, “’Give honour to those who went before by dressing up like your ancestors. Reflect your culture and heritage’” (Mulkey). Thinking of Johnson’s attire request makes me smile because of her affinity for history. Understanding the richness of the past does help anyone prepare more for the future, and seeing how different things were in another time and place is beneficial to seeing how far we’ve come and where we’re going.

This is much like understanding the richness of Johnson’s past; she could have ended up in an unhappier place but continually decided to be progressive throughout her life and focus on her blessings. Fellow Flagler student Jill Houser talked with Johnson and summed up her values in the following manner: “If [Johnson] is not helping one of her 17 grandchildren or 11 great-grandchildren, then she is riding around on her bike hoping to get the chance to tell someone about her two loves: history and Jesus.” Although the memories of Johnson’s father and his drinking cause her to look back on him without fondness, telling Houser “He was a brute,” they’re clearly far from the opinion her descendents have of her. She is known not only as “The Voice of Lincolnville” but also as the “World’s Greatest Grandma,” as a little plaque on the front of her lavender tricycle proudly declares.

Johnson has so many local friends that when her old tricycle was stolen, there was apparently a communal effort to track down the culprit and bring it back to her. Before the thief was found, her tricycle had already been replaced with the bright, new lavender one as a present from the St. Augustine Police Department. Rumour has it that some of Johnson’s loyal followers are still keeping their eyes open for whoever stole the original. Clearly, I am only one of many in St. Augustine who have been fortunate enough to meet Carrie Johnson. Because she is so giving, positivity comes back to her from the community and she remains an example of how optimism in action creates progress, something pertinent for everyone to remember.

Word Count: 700

Works Cited:

Mulkey, Holly. “Carrie Johnson celebrates her birthday,” 2010.

Houser, Jill. “Always smiling, the lady on the lavender bike,” 2010.