Dear Lima Beans, among the years, I have lived — and enjoyed living — in many different big cities worldwide.
So when we first moved to Lima, just because of hubby’s job, I confess I wasn’t thrilled at all to move to a Layma, Ohayah.
I am a firm believer that bad vibes bring back bad vibes, so because of not being happy moving here, I was attracting the worst people in Lima. Folks, I know it, I brought it to myself. I understand that what goes around comes around, and it was like an “in your face Maha” kind of thing.
And when the many people living in the small neighboring towns would hear me saying that, they would tell me right away: “Maha, Lima is big. Lima has two shopping malls!”
Then living in Lima around 30 years now, and when my hubby passed away, friends and family assumed that I would be moving either to North Carolina, since I lived there before. I truly was very happy and have a bunch of wonderful friends that I’m always still in touch with there. Also, the best reason too is that this is where my eldest daughter, Reem, and her family live.
Or people thought I would move to New York City, where my other daughter Rana and her family live, and again where I also have a bunch of friends.
Folks, I think you all know me by now, I truly can not survive without having good, sincere and trustworthy friends around me, wherever I live, lived or have been living!
So I am so thankful, blessed and lucky to have so many lovely friends scattered in many different parts of the world.
Yet I insisted that I will continue living in Lima and that I am a proud Lima Bean.
So when I was or am asked:
• Why live in Lima now?
• Why when it’s cold and snowy in winter and hot and humid in summer?
• Why (since you were lucky to have been born on the Mediterranean where you enjoyed that a lot) when Lima is so far from the ocean, sea and water?
Folks, my answer and list gets longer and longer every time!
Here’s my list of reasons of why I like living in Lima. I hope I didn’t forget any. There’s no priority with this list, it’s what comes to mind haphazardly, while I’m writing this:
• I have wonderful, loving and so thoughtful neighbors.
• Our Lima Police Department and Elida Police Department guys are all so friendly and helpful. A great example is my Lima/Allen County friend and colleague Chief Kevin Martin.
• The Lima post office, Elida post office, the UPS store and Going Postal are all so accommodating.
• Traffic and driving are easy peasy.
• There are a couple of chic boutiques.
• The Lima Symphony Orchestra.
• The Civic Center and City Club and all the cultural and spectacular shows they bring.
• Also Encore Theatre and their local very gifted cast. (I can’t wait to see The Addams Family!)
• The many different and locally owned “mom and pop” great restaurants, with lots and lots to to name!
• ArtSpace/Lima.
• The Meeting Place (and its owners).
• The Lab and its owners/members (again, no biases here).
• Allen County Historical Society Museum.
• MacDonell House and the Victorian mansion.
• Lima Firefighters Memorial Museum.
• The different super health services, whether it’s hospitals, clinics or doctors.
• The YMCA.
• The different area gyms.
• My efficient personal trainer, Cam.
• My beauticians.
• My colleagues at Ohio State University, when working on my master’s degree.
• My late husband’s colleagues at OSU-Lima as a whole and specifically the library (again, no biases here).
• Also the OSU-Lima deans, past and present! Something that I will never ever forget is when my kids and I wanted to have my husband’s memorial reception at the OSU-Lima campus, how accomodating and helpful the dean and his staff were.
• Also how Tim Rehner, Mayor David Berger and Kevin Martin were there supporting me and my kids, plus of course the so many friends, colleagues and neighbors who attended, which gave us such assurances and tranquility! My friends and family in Alexandria, Egypt, were so thrilled and surprised when sharing with them the love and care that our community showed us during that memorial. They told me we of course we would have expected that here in Alexandria; we still remember your dad’s or mom’s funerals and memorials, and how it was so impressive to see the number of people who came to offer their condolences because of how popular they both were. Yet it’s great that you have that loving rapport in your community too.
• My colleagues from my different jobs among the Lima years.
• The several different area accessible universities and colleges.
• The food bank for its services.
• Coleman Professional Services for its services.
• The different nonprofit agencies and again their phenomenal services, plus the many mutual friends/volunteers/members on those different boards, where we all are working together to make Lima always a better place.
• The Council for the Arts and the new art gallery/venue.
• The many “Lima Lady Staples” — whom to my dismay already left us — yet left a great legacy here, and who were very close to my heart.
• The Ohio Theater and its exciting renovations.
• The Languages & Tutoring Academy and its owners.
• The many different locally owned and great cafés, lots and lots to name.
• Panera Bread and its friendly staff.
• The Wapak Winans Chocolates and Coffee.
• The two devoted Lima mayors!
• The Yesterday’s Street Party and the amount of friends that I luckily bumped into!
• I have to thank Norma Riggs (RIP). She was one of the first people to approach me when I first moved here. Why? Well, she had an exchange student from Egypt, and she, Dick and all the family loved her. (They even traveled to Egypt to visit with her family ) So I truly owe it to the Riggs, as they introduced me to the many good people in Lima and the Lima Symphony Orchestra too!
• Starting The Lima Interfaith Fellowship Group seven years ago was and is one of the Events that I am always so delighted to work on. I can’t thank enough David Berger for his encouragement, and BTW Lima Beans, put it on your calendar this year it’s on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, at the cafeteria at OSU-Lima!
• And lastly, but surely not least, my bunch of wonderful/amazing/remarkable and very cool Lima friends that I have accumulated and handpicked among the years (which I don’t need to name personally, as again they are a lot, yet I’m sure and know that you all know who you are).
Folks, that is why I love Lima!
Maha Zehery lives in Lima. Her column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Lima News editorial board or AIM Media, owner of The Lima News.
