Recently I was sitting in a local diner, enjoying lunch with a couple of good friends from the Times-Gazette.

We were eating and talking and laughing, and all of a sudden I went from talking and laughing to choking on my lunch.

I had tried to swallow a bite of roast beef from my open-faced sandwich and it got stuck in my throat.

I couldn’t talk and I tried washing it down with a swig of water but it just came back up.

Sorry, if I’m grossing you out.

But, I made motions for somebody to slap me on the back, and Carol came running around the table and went to work saving my life.

She got up from her chair and started beating me on my back. Boom…boom…boom.

Mary nonchalantly slid my lunch across the table to get it out of the way.

Carol was smacking me…boom…boom…boom.

And finally that big old chunk of roast beef came flying out of my mouth and went flying across the restaurant…

Just kidding!

Carol’s smacking my back dislodged it.

With the help of my napkin I got rid of the beef chunk.

Before long we were able to get back to laughing and talking.

More laughing I think.

Anyway…

Carol saved my life!

Mary saved my lunch!

And Jesus blessed me with these two good friends.

Mary and Carol are the paginators for the Times-Gazette. They lay out the pages of our bi-weekly local newspaper.

Carol has been doing that job since right after graduating from high school back in the “dark ages.” And Mary has been her side-kick for almost as long.

They are amazing.

And I thank God for their friendship.

I met them back in 2005 when I first started working full-time at the T-G, and we hit it off almost immediately.

Soon I was not just their co-worker, but their confidante, their prayer warrior, their friend, and their pastor.

Carol Spray and Mary Cook are two amazing ladies.

They may be a little rough around the edges, but I don’t mind. So am I, I guess.

They are a super-important part of the team that keeps our local news coming out to us.

They help to keep us informed and up to date on local events.

And I proudly declare “They are my friends!”

Carol saved my life!

And Mary saved my lunch!