We don't know where we're going, but we're on our way

A conversation with Julia Mead

When Julia Mead graduated from high school at the age of 17 and started college, she decided her motto would be, "I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."

She finished nurse's training in Walla Walla in 1982. A year later, she met her first and only blind date, Charles "Skip" Mead IV.

When asked, "Who is Julia Mead?" her answer is, "A transplant to Columbia County who sank her roots down."

Two sons, six grandchildren, and 37 harvests later, she hasn't slowed down a bit.

"I see myself as a fixer," she said in a recent chat. "I guess because I'm a nurse. I like to help and to repair things."

Like many of us, Mead deeply values the preservation of rural village life in the valley. "Maybe I was born in the wrong century, but I like old things. I have a lot of respect for the past. So, I'm a protect, preserve, and restore kind of person."

In the past, Mead has helped to fix many things. Years ago, she was a member of "Citizens for Community Projects," a working group that completed many projects, including a helipad for Dayton's hospital campus; and the bridge over the Touchet River that connects the athletics field to the school.

Mead was Little League president for 12 years as well as a coach. She was part of a group that helped procure funding for Columbia County's first K-9 unit. She has given countless hours to other projects, including live productions at the Liberty Theater.

"I was absent at a meeting of the Columbia County Health Foundation years ago, and then found out I was president," she says with a smile. "I know nothing but busy. I like projects," she said. "There's a lot to be proud of here, and I try to be a giver rather than a taker."

She is one of several folks who formed "Friends of the Fairgrounds" in Columbia County in 2017 and is their current president. Their goal has been to preserve the historic, rural feel of the complex.

"We didn't think it needed to be all fancy with metal and glass," she said.

The group has raised well over $190,000 in those three years. When the pandemic hit, they were working on ADA bathrooms for the pavilion and structural upgrades for the youth building. The group currently has 22 members, and more are always welcome.

"We want it really to be a venue for community and family events," she said, in addition to the annual fair itself.

Even though COVID has brought community groups to a pause, Mead is clear about the nature of change.

"Change for me is easy, but the older I get, the more set you become," she said, "and I find myself at times politely questioning the need for a change. But we all have to be adaptable and flexible. Change isn't always comfortable, but it's necessary."

For one who sank her roots in Columbia County, the fruits of her labor have been full of positivity and faith in the community. How has the pandemic changed this? Not one bit.

"It will change the way we've been living our lives," she said. "But we depend on each other here, so we need to support each other."

Mead sees the importance of young people helping to bind up the wounds of isolation imposed upon the elderly population. She is hopeful of the opportunities for new leadership among younger adults and the need to undergird and strengthen local businesses.

"Continuance is a word that comes to mind," she said. "We have some strong, talented, and creative minds that I think are going to help us balance our response to this huge change that COVID has brought about. We need to help each other stay positive. In the long run, I think this situation can result in things being even better than they were."

In other words, we may not know where we're going, but we're on our way.