A Walk Back In Time

 So yesterday I had my annual skin cancer check with Dr. McDreamy, also known as Jeremy Green. For years I saw an old guy at Baptist, while Wifey and the Ds saw Dr. Green, openly admitting to having huge crushes on him -- boyishly handsome, unfailingly sweet -- oh yeah -- and fellowship trained in prestigious programs.

I scoffed, until I realized my old guy missed a lesion what turned out to be a basal cell, and I went to Dr. Green. Turned out I ended up with the biggest crush on him of all. Most of his patients are women, and not at all interested in football. Like me, he's a HUGE Canes fan -- born and raised -- his Dad is the now retired Chief of Neurosurgery at UM, and though Jeremy never attended the school -- he bleeds green and orange. We talked and talked about then new coach Manny Diaz, until his PA politely reminded him he had other patients. So I really dig him.

He sees my whole family, and is particularly vigilant about Jonathan, who is a fair skinned redhead who is most at risk for skin stuff. He always reminds me to remind Jonathan he wants him in a few times per year.

Anyway, he examined me after we exchanged hugs, and caught up about his kids and parents. I pointed to my far too enormous belly and told him I was preparing to help new Canes coach Cristobal on the offensive line this season. "You always look great, David," he lied. Did I mention how charming he was.

Fortunately, there were no lesions to cut off and biopsy, and I left happy about that. I was going to head to Brickell, but the day was impossibly beautiful -- finally warmed up and sunny after a gray, cold few days with London-like drizzle.

Instead, I drove to the University, and parked over by the Lowe Museum. I strolled around -- a lot -- and took in how gorgeous the place was. They finally build the Frost Institute, a $400M center for STEM teaching and research. Phil and Patricia, local billionaires, have no kids. Why can't I be their nephew, I thought to myself?

I purposefully avoided the Law School, and walked to the Gifford Arboretum -- with a Starbucks coffee I had bought in the Student Union. Classes were out for Winter Break, and so the campus was pretty quiet -- just several sets of parents and young kids taking tours.

I sat on a bench among the exotic trees, and an older woman came by -- she was a caretaker and Biology professor -- did I have any questions? I did not, but we chatted about my time as a Bio major there, from '79-81. Did she know my Botany professor, humorously named Dr. Margaret Mustard? Not personally, but she knew OF her. Satisfied that I wasn't a tree vandal, the caretaker said goodbye and walked away.

I strolled past my freshman dorm, the 1968 complex, now a rubble pile. They demolished the two 11 story buildings, and are getting ready to demolish their 960 complex twins, to make way for Centennial Village -- a new complex of dorms and faculty residences -- to be completed by the time UM turns 100 -- in 2025.

I sat for a good long while, recalling the amazing times over my 7 years as a student there. I also taught -- 4 classes, and sat of a couple of Boards for the Arts and Sciences College, which taught me I'm not the kind of guy who does well sitting on Boards.

At around 2, it occurred to me that I was hungry, and decided to cap the day with lunch at Titanic. I sat at a table reading articles on my phone, and a friendly Midwestern family was next to me -- a pretty blonde teen girl and her parents. The Mom said "Excuse me, don't mean to bother you, but are you a professor at UM?" I laughed, and said now, but then chatted with them for a good half hour about my experiences there, over the past 42 years.

They were from a suburb of Minneapolis, and the girl was going to study Marine Science. I told her that to this day, the most brilliant woman I ever met was named Claire, and she was from Roseville, Mn. I left out the part that Claire died very young -- in her later 30s, apparently, in California.

The Dad owned a business there, and asked me a great question -- what was the single best thing about going to school here. I answered that I have amazing friends in my life -- really more brothers and sisters than friends -- and the great majority of them are connected in some say to the University of Miami. I told him most of us still tailgate together as faithfully as the religious attend church.

And as I said goodbye and headed home, I realized that was the main thing.