Each week we ask an area resident to tell us 10 things about themselves. This week we asked Laura Mabry who lives in St. Joseph and does Public Relations for Carle.
What do you enjoy about working at Carle?
For sure the people I meet. Patients. Doctors. Nurses. Administrators. Everyone cares so much. I’m sure that’s true in a lot of industries, but I love how healthcare attracts people who care and act on what they care about, IMHO. Plus, I love to tell people’s stories, even if it’s just a snapshot of a great experience another patient can learn from or a story that helps someone interested in healthcare pursue the profession. Plus, in public relations, I get to work with journalists from near and far, which reminds me of my good old days as a newspaper editor.
What is your favorite book?
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Each time I finish reading it, I feel like I could flip back to the beginning and start it all over again. I love the bygone era, the dramatic scenarios, the spectacle of the circus. Maybe I was a fortune teller or a clown in a past life!
How did you come up with the names for your kids?
First, my family does alliterative names. I’m Laura Lynn. My sister is Carolyn Cathleen. And so on. So, we knew we wanted the middle name Charles – after Kyle’s dad and grandpa – if we had a boy. We tell Carter the label on all the clothes we received as gifts already had his name on it. Chase was named Chase because we figured he’d always be “chasing” after his big brother. Of course, as it turned out, they couldn’t be more different.
What was your biggest adventure?
Besides trying to navigate being a working mom and wife, my biggest adventure was trying to get on David Letterman’s show back when I was a business and features editor at the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. It’s a long and silly story. I didn’t make it on the show, but people followed my daily adventures on a bus cross to get me halfway across the country, and I do have a signed note from Letterman that a messenger delivered to my hotel in Manhattan. I’d be happy to tell the rest of the story, with a drink in hand, at The WheelHouse or Roch’s anytime!
What is something you always carry with you?
I almost always carry a notebook. Must be the former journalist in me. It seems if I don’t have one, I wish I did, but I can always scramble to jot down notes on just about anything.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
Anything in a crockpot. Chopping is therapeutic. Simmering makes the whole house smell wonderful. And whatever comes out is always easy to reheat for leftovers.
What was the name of your first pet?
The first pet I remember was a black and white cat we named Cricket. Over time, we added to her name, and she became Cricket Oreo Nerd Scout Cook (my maiden name).
How many kids were in your family growing up?
Between two households because my parents got divorced, I have one sister, one stepsister, one stepbrother and
Your kids are 14 and almost 10. What advice do you have for people with younger kiddos?
It gets easier. Hang in there. Someday your kids will need you less, and that’s a whole different kind of crazy. Cherish helping them tie their shoes. Hug them as long as they want to be hugged. And help them be kind to everyone, always.
What one thing would you change about the world if you could?
I would want us all,
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