While some people may deem it busybodyness…messing in other people’s busyness and that it’s none of your busyness may sometimes be true.

Growing up in the proverbial trailer park, I, myself, have been gifted and blessed with a whole gaggle of female mentors throughout my life. They have advised me when I asked for it, and more importantly, when I haven’t.

My mentors have included close family members like Mawdine, Maydine, Layunine, Cletaine, Chlorine, Cuisine, Glowdine, as well as, friends like Joline, Caffeine, Prayline and the occasional saleslady at my local Wally World. How was I to know she was listening in to my cell phone call while I was trying on clothes in the dressing room?! But Thank you Jesus, she was!

Truly, I am blessed by the wisdom and discernment of these women.

But not all women have this blessing I have been given.

There are those poor unfortunate lost trailer park souls who really don’t have a well-meaning female sounding board to bounce things off of. And we all know how important it is to have another head to knock against when times get tough.

Enter Nadine Bodine, the Self-Appointed Life Coach to Many.

Where there’s a problem, she’s got a solution, or two. Primarily based on her own rocky life experiences with as much drama as an episode of Gilligan’s Island, a night-time Novena (that’s for my favorite sisters-in-law) and the latest episode of Downton Abbey all rolled into one. Which Jose’ now has me addicted to, bless his pointed little head.

On any given day, there is a plethora of drama out there in the Trailer Park. And with as much Jesus as possible, Nadine can step in at any given situation and lend a helping hand…sometimes in the form of a well needed back slap. Can I get Amen? I think I can. In Jesus’ name.

Most of the time, the drama involves persons of the opposite sex. However, sometimes it’s about their jobs, or kids, or Mommas, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or getting drunk…OMG that sounds just like Steve Goodman/David Allen Coe’s “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” song…We should collaborate.

From time to time, it involves the perfect recipe, which movie to rent for that evening of Hamburgers Nekked On The Couch (blog to follow one day) and sometimes it’s even about, of all things, toileting habits! I kid you not.

But Nadine, Self-Appointed Life Coach to Many, like those brave souls who have come before her, is ever ready with her Magic Advice Wand to sweep in, take charge and do her duty.

 Like a bad case of the hiccups.

As a young woman, Nadine’s mentors always knew, long before Nadine did, what the outcome of certain circumstances would be. And after mixing their advice with her own gut instinct and intuition and the occasional alcoholic beverage she would go ahead and make the decision. Not once, in Nadine’s young life, did she fail to heed the advice of her mentors. Ok, maybe a few times, but she HAS lived to regret it.

Humbly so.

Anybody got a good recipe for crow pie?

How about elephant stew?