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meet, "dsickles" | the golo profiles

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If you ever have to share an office with a person, I have the perfect prototype. She’s witty, smart and can whip up a killer powerpoint presentation in her sleep. She also makes holiday desserts to die for and gives Martha Stewart a run for her money.   

Meet my former officemate, partner-in-crime and sister from another mister, Dolly Sickles:

Angela: It’s pretty obvious by reading your WRAL.com blog that you love to garden. When did you develop such a green thumb?

DSickles: As a kid I hated the garden. When my husband and I got married, we needed to find something that we could do together outside of the house. We worked in very different fields and wanted to develop common interests. His mother was a gardener and he grew up working in the garden so we decided to garden together. He decided that we wanted to have a better garden than our neighbors and we both took to it.

Angela: So is your garden better than the neighbors’?

DSickles: Absolutely! Except for our grass. But we don’t supplement with water. Water that comes out of the garden hose has been treated so it’s not healthy to add that to the water table.

Angela: So you never water?

DSickles: Sometimes I water if I have potted plants. Other times I put water in a water can and leave it outside for a couple of hours until it reaches earth temperature.

But I’m vain about those potted plants.

Angela: What else are you vain about?

DSickles: I love to have my toes painted. With pink sparkly polish.

Angela: What do you love most about your life?

DSickles: I like living out loud. Does that make sense?

I was raised by my mother and taught to ask questions and never accept the status quo. As an adult I’ve been fortunate enough to cultivate my career so that I can be an effective socially conscientious citizen.

Angela: That’s a mouth full.

DSickles: My community support really focuses on the human condition.

Angela: And what is the human condition right now in your opinion?

DSickles: I think a lot of the world lives with their head in the sand.

Angela: Tell me more about that.

DSickles: I disagree with abstinence only education in schools. Children are missing the biology of the spread of disease and pregnancy. We’re not equipping our children with the tools to make good decisions. As Christians we’re taught about free will, so how can you choose God and Christianity if you don’t know the alternative.

You can’t just tell a kid: “NO, because I said so.”

Angela: So how do you feel about corporal punishment?

DSickles: As a kid, I received whippings. I can count on two hands how many I got though because   I was smart enough to know I didn’t like them. So for my own child, I may pop him on the fanny just to get his attention but we don’t spank him. He responds well to reasoning and loss of privileges.

Angela: I’ve often heard that people who spank are essentially lazy parents.

DSickles: I agree with that, Angela. Taking the time to talk with a child is an investment.

Children are not as dumb as some adults think.

Angela: What was your most embarrassing moment?

DSickles: I live my life with great humor and God knows enough stuff happens to me! But my most embarrassing moment was in the tenth grade when I was walking along the top bleachers at my boyfriend’s baseball game wearing a homemade t-shirt with his name and number when I waved at a friend and immediately stumbled and rolled down all eight metal stairs and came to rest in the red dirt against the fence.

(We are both laughing hysterically)

Angela: I’m embarrassed just typing that.

DSickles: I know it. It makes me just about wet myself every time I tell it.

I always figure if I can laugh at myself it’s definitely okay to laugh at others.

Angela: How important is laughter in a person’s life?

DSickles: Laughter carries you through the good times and the bad. If you can find humor and enjoyment in the simplest pieces of life, it makes all the other stuff just fade away.

Angela: What do you think people say about you behind your back?

DSickles: “That crazy broad.”

(More laughter)

Angela: You’re right! I’ve said that behind your back.

DSickles: I know it!

My mother always tells me that it must be tough living on the edge, because I stay in trouble. I always speak my mind and never do anything anonymously. She says I’m always in the hot seat.

Angela: Well, unfortunately…one day you’ll go cold. And what will they say about you then?

DSickles: Is she breathing?

(We laugh again…)

Angela: What will be your legacy?

DSickles: A happy successful child, a long and successful publishing career and a world made more aware by my contributions.

Angela: One more thing. GOLO will always mean more to you than most because of your direct involvement early on. Tell me what you’d like to see it become?

DSickles: A great conversation piece, that makes you think a little bit differently than you did before you logged on.

Angela: I’ll drink to that. As always, Dolly it’s been a pleasure..

DSickles: Thank you Angela..

Angela: I miss you girl. This office is empty without you

DSickles: Thank you. I miss you too.

(Editor’s note: Dolly and I have met for lunch several times since her departure and we often call one another just to share a quick laugh. Some of our conversation was edited out in an effort to protect our professional image.)

Filed under: People