You Know What They Say About Free Advice…

The old saying, “You get what you pay for,” is a tried and true axiom. Scenic 98 Coastal strives to offer its readers sage advice on where to go for good food, great entertainment, and fun places to shop. It's what we do. This week we bring you the go-to place for rock-solid advice on any subject, but it’s not free. 

Save your pennies, and when you get to five, stop by Latte Da at Page and Palette each Tuesday at 11:00 AM. There you will find the most delightful ladies, Sonya and Nancye ready and willing to hear your Tales of Woe, or maybe not-so-dire issues that are weighing on your mind. 

Sitting behind an authentic Linus and Lucy booth, the brainchild of owner Karen Wilson, Sonya and Nancye will offer their learned opinions and address any problems you may be facing. I have lots of issues, so I paid it forward with my $1 contribution. Joining me was local artist, Melanie Grein. We had just visited briefly over a cup of coffee and both thought we could use some good advice.

After waiting for two people in front of us to finish their session, Sonya welcomed us. She is 83 years old and has lived in Fairhope for 18 years. She is originally from Ferriday, Louisiana. Nancye’s great-grandfather, Paul Kinston Dealy was one of the first 100 people to arrive in Fairhope from Chicago in 1895 .“He was the first Baha’i Faith Devotee of the South, and was considered an eccentric,” says Nancye.

Nancye grew up in Nashville. Her father was with the Corp of Engineers. He was assigned to the Mobile office and they moved to Fairhope to live when she was a senior in high school. Sonya and Nancye met at a Civil Rights discussion in Fairhope years ago. 

At the meeting, Sonya said, “It really bothers me that there are no African American people here.” Nancye said, I can’t afford to shop here and maybe that is the reason. Sonya said, “That is not the reason. People do not go where they do not feel welcomed.”

We talked a bit about the Baha’i faith and its religion, which I didn’t know much about. Interestingly, the religion accepts all other faiths as true and valid. Both Sonya and Nancye practice the Baha’i faith, and it is evident in the advice they offer.

Sonya began by recording my name and where I’m from in a notebook. She then asked me to select a card from a stack of virtue cards on the small counter and to read it out loud from front to back. The card I pulled was titled “Righteousness”. Of course, it fit me to a tee. We were off to a good start. Sonya then asked me what advice I was seeking. I deferred to Melanie to buy some time. I only had one shot at this and I wanted to get it right!

Melanie drew “Patience”. She read her card and felt it suited her as well. During their discussion, (I won’t reveal Melanie’s question), Sonya stated that “women can save the world if they would just let us.” I wasn’t going to argue that point. When it was my turn again, I asked, “With all the people moving here, how do we keep our small town quaint?” They both agreed that our town should retain its beauty, charm, and quaintness but wished that there was less traffic

I asked if I could keep my Righteousness card, to show my wife… she has to be reminded every now and then. They laughed but Sonya said, “No, if we did that we would have to keep buying new decks of Virtue Cards.” Where did you find them, I asked. “My daughter, Allison gave them to me when we started doing this.”

So, how did all this get started? Karen Wilson overheard Sonya and Nancye talking to someone in the store about an issue they were having and thought their advice was spot on. She had the booth made, fashioned after the Charlie Brown cartoon advice booth that Lucy used to offer advice for 5 cents, mainly to Linus, who was the deep thinker in the group.

Early on, a couple stopped in Page and Palette. The husband was being grumpy, and the wife saw the Friendly Advice- 5 Cents booth and said she was going to stop by. “We don’t have time for that,” he replied. The wife told Sonya and Nancye that her husband was always focused on work, and didn’t have time to spend with family, including three sons.

The advice they offered the husband was, “You need to focus on the family, not just your business. You are training them for life, and your sons won’t pay attention to you when you get older.” He asked, “Are you professional psychologists? How were you trained?” “Life” was their response.

Sonya confides, “Women are the first teachers of children.” She goes on to tell another story. There was a couple that had been together for about ten years but never married. The woman, who stopped by the booth one day, lamented that her sweetheart thought being together was  enough, and he would never propose”

After a while, she tells Sonya and Nancye that she is thinking of breaking off the relationship if they aren’t going to get married. Unbeknownst to her, the Advice ladies commandeered the fellow and admonished him to go immediately around the corner to the jewelry store and purchase an engagement ring. He did just that and proposed the same day. 

Later in the day, his fiance burst into Page and Palette and yelled, “Can you believe it! He proposed!” And Sonya and Nancy were thrilled with the outcome…

The Advice Ladies are lots of fun and are sincere about offering sound advice. “Think with your heart, not your head,” they tell Melanie. “The head is full of information that can confuse you. Always go with your heart.” 

Now that’s advice anyone can use! Stop by Latte Da every Tuesday at 11 AM. And bring your nickel!