Ann Landers - A Remembrance

by Rose Madeline Mula

On September 3, 1999, a friend phoned me. "Have you read Ann Landers' column today?" she asked. I hadn't. "You should. You'll be surprised," she said. I was.

Ms. Landers' column that day had no questions, no advice. It was a reprint of an article I had written about a strange old lady who had taken up residence in my mirror ("The Stranger in My House," Seniorwomen.com). She introduced the essay by explaining that her cousin, Ruth Davidson in Phoenix, had sent it to her. She had no idea who had written it, but wanted to share it with her readers because she and cousin Ruth had enjoyed it immensely.

I was pleased—and upset. I finally got published in a syndicated column, but anonymously and without compensation. I immediately sent an E-mail to Ms. Landers expressing my displeasure. I then did some sleuthing, found a telephone number for cousin Ruth and phoned. She was delightful and reiterated how she much she and Ann loved the story. "We laughed and laughed!" "Well, I cried," I said, and told her why. I asked where her son had found the piece. "On the Internet," she said, "and no author was identified. I'm so sorry. I'll tell Ann immediately."

As soon as I hung up, my phone rang. It was Ann Landers herself, responding to my e-mail. She apologized profusely, complimented me extravagantly, and promised to print an attribution crediting me with authorship. "What else can I do for you, dear?" she wanted to know. I said I would appreciate her also referring readers to my other articles in Seniorwomen.com. She graciously kept her promise in her column of October 18, 1999, and I subsequently was inundated with fan e-mail from readers.

I was very grateful to Ms. Landers, and impressed that she had taken the time from her busy schedule to telephone me herself. She could easily have had one of her secretaries take care of it. During our conversation she admitted to being 81 years old and said she had no desire to retire. "I want to keep doing this as long as I can," she said. And she did. Even her diagnosis of multiple myeloma six months ago didn't stop her.

I will miss her. I always admired her no-nonsense responses to readers' dilemmas and her willingness to admit her goofs. "I deserve twenty lashes with a wet noodle for that one," she would write.

Even before my personal encounter with her, I quoted Ann all the time. One of my favorite Landersisms, which I spout whenever friends complain that someone is imposing on them, is "No one can take advantage of you without your permission." So true. So wise. So Ann.

She may be gone, but her words live on.

 

Editor's Note: Rose Mula's most recent book, The Beautiful People and Other Aggravations, is now available at your favorite bookstore, through Amazon.com and other online bookstores, and through Pelican Publishing (800-843-1724), as is her previous book, If These Are Laugh Lines, I'm Having Way Too Much Fun.

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