With good manners, one can fit anywhere
Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, July 10, 2024
- Donna Traywick
With good manners, one can fit anywhere
By Donna Traywick
Mt. Olivet News
I’m excited about my co-writer this week. It’s a world traveler, Lynda Browning Davis.
She’s the very eloquent speaking, no pretense, lady that grew up in the Mt. Olivet
community. I interviewed Lynda on one of her many visits back to Mt. Olivet community.
She’s tall and portrays confidence, poise, self-assurance, grace, and composure.
Lynda was born on the Browning place on Easter Sunday April 6, 1947. She was the
third child of Horace Browning and Elizabeth Childs Browning. She has fond memories
of moving to the old Mt. Olivet teachers’ home when she was about 5 years old. The old
Mt. Olivet school was still standing but vacant. She and her siblings, Ann, Larry, Jane,
and Ricky spent many hours playing in the old building.
She graduated from South Panola High School in 1965. She has fond memories of Mr.
Joe Hamlin Principal, Mrs. Kyle Miller, Librarian, and Miss Erin Whitten as Latin teacher.
Lynda credits Latin as being the basis that helped her to read the menus in all the
foreign countries she visited.
After High School Lynda went to Memphis and worked at several jobs including, x-ray
technician, and telephone operator while attending Memphis State. She experiences
burn-out while trying to excel in everything. It so happened that three airlines were
advertising their flight attendant programs. She applied to Delta and was immediately
hired. This was the beginning of a 37-year relationship.
Lynda visited 27 foreign countries, including Russia. She explained to me that there was
always at least 3 or 4 LOD (language of destination) people on each flight. They were
always fluid in both languages.
Lynda has many outstanding memories of her 37 years as a flight attendant. She was in
Italy during 9/11. They were not allowed to leave the country, but the Italian people were
wonderful to them. They called their flight to London as, “walking across the pond” She
discovered that the treasured Waterford crystal that London was so famous for was no
longer made in London. Poland and Czechoslovakia have taken over glass blowing.
In private life one of the major highlights was that she was a delegate to the Republican
National Convention when Ronald Ragan ran for president, she got to meet both he and
Nancy. Apart from flying, Lynda was an avid tennis player and from there became a
runner, she ran the Peachtree 10k quite often.
Perhaps someday I can fill a whole newspaper with all the experiences that Lynda
shared with me on my visit Sunday. She has lived in Chicago, Texas and now is at
home in Atlanta. She makes a point to be at Mt. Olivet on the 4 th of July. She always has
peach ice cream from Georgia peaches.
For someone who has been all over the world, there are places that Lynda has never
been and would like to go. One is the Iceland Hotel, where everything is ice, even your
bed, but somehow is heated.
She would like to walk on The Great Wall, visit Moscow Bolshoi Ballet and Sydney
Opera house. She said that someone once told her that with good manners and proper
speech you will fit in anywhere in the world. Lynda is living proof of that statement.
Contact Donna at donnatraywickmusic@gmail.com