Heart of the House – Gail Johnson
Expect to enjoy the playful, theatrical bent of longtime Unity Church of Clearwater member and Lightbringer Gail Johnson expressed in “Maleficent,” coming to Unity on Sunday, October 26. None will want to miss the near-Halloween happening of the hapless in a memorable adaptation of Sleeping Beauty.
As a child, Gail wanted to be an artist and later considered a career as a social worker but would find opportunities both to create and communicate in another field, a life’s work that she loves. Witness to the familiar idiom that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Gail, growing up, had considerable exposure to her hairdresser-mother’s work at Clearwater Beach. Cosmetology called, and she has realized a long and successful career as a hairdresser, always continuing her education, serving an established clientele at Hair Say in Clearwater, as well as a number of well coiffed Unity congregants, including an especially striking redhead.
Illustrating her fun-loving nature is Gail’s description of participating in the Great American Teach-In and her unique method of sharing her work with students. To the delight of the children, she proceeded to “highlight” their teacher’s hair, experimenting with multiple color gels. Later, she latched on to a couple of clowns in the hallway and brought them to the class to demonstrate her hair designs. Aside from creating coiffures and entertaining students, Gail likes to dance, continuing the tap and jazz routines that she learned in her 40’s. Both she and her husband Charles love to travel and are planning a trip to San Francisco and the Redwood Forests. At Christmas, she looks forward to going to New Orleans and visiting her many in-laws, a large gathering; Charles has 12 siblings.
Born in Johnson City, NY, Gail came with her family to Florida when she was four years old. Her father’s transition was recent; her mother lives nearby, as does her creative sister, who at age 12, sewed all of the gowns for a formal wedding.
Gail met her husband when he was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. There would be later posts in New York and Mississippi, as well as Carswell AFB in Texas, where Gail visited a Unity church in Arlington, and even taught a Sunday school class at a Fort Worth Unity church. Gail’s parents were Catholic and Methodist, and she attended both churches until about the age of 18 or 19 when she embarked on a spiritual search. An aunt, a nun, would send her items inspiring religious connections, one of which was Daily Word. That is how she discovered Unity, its positive path, and her way to Unity Church of Clearwater. “ Leddy,” she says, “is exactly who I would like to express in my life, so true,” and Charles agrees: “She’s the real deal.” Here, happily, she has found her answers.