Tommy O

 From Kindergarten through 2nd grade, I had a close neighborhood friend named Tommy. He was a maverick -- a Reds fan in a 'hood where loving the Mets was seemingly required. And in football -- neither Giants nor Jets -- he loved the Green Bay Packers. 

He came from a big Irish Catholic family -- very fine people. His older brother was very cool -- didn't mind little babies like us hanging around. And the coolest thing to Tommy and I was our birthdays were a single day apart -- he was born the 19th, and I the 18th. Before third grade, he gave me sad news -- he was no longer to be a student at East Broadway -- he was switching to St. James.

I recall speaking to his Dad , who looked to me like Marcus Welby, M.D., and appealing for Tommy to stay in school with us. He patiently explained that their religion was important, and wanted Tommy to have a Catholic education. "Why can't he go to catechism like everyone else?" Mr. O laughed -- I guess he appreciated my moxie, but the deal was done. We saw each other little after that.

Well, as a running joke for myself, each year following my birthday, I thank all the well wising FaceBook (tm) posters for their greetings, and add "And happy birthday to you, Tommy O, wherever you are." Well THIS year, I got a response -- a message from a fellow named Brian, a year behind me in school, who was in fact FaceBook (TM) friends with Eileen O, Tommy's older sister. He invited me to contact her.

I did, and last night, while I was having Zoom cocktails with Eric, Dana, Barry, and Donna, Eileen wrote back -- she was WITH Tommy, at his White Plains, NY home -- and why didn't I call. The drinking and laughing lasted late, followed by my inspection of the closet purging led by our friend Allison helping Wifey, and I called Tommy's number this am.

What a delight! We talked for an hour. Sure enough, from St. James he went to Chaminade, and then Pace for college. The result? He married a Jewish girl from LI, and they're raising the kids in the Old Testament way! He's in real estate finance, and living in White Plains. His kids are a bit younger than the Ds -- recent college grad, college student, and high school senior, at a boarding school.

We laughed -- two blue collar kids have a kid in an expensive boarding school. Tommy didn't elaborate, but I gleaned he had done well -- living in the Upper East Side before decamping to White Plains -- private schools and colleges for his kids.

His parents are long gone. In fact, Mr. O was born in 1920 and died in 2013, just like my Mom. Tommy was shocked to learn my Dad had died so young -- he remembered him, and the fact that we visited Israel in 1969. He remembers my Mom showing him all the stuff we brought back, including a wood puzzle of Old Jerusalem, which Tommy knew better than I because of his religious studies.

We compared notes about our LI childhoods, and aging. He shared a great anecdote -- he was at a party in NYC after college, and a Gossip Girl type asked him "Where did you prep?" He thought she was asking about a colonoscopy. Yes -- we weren't blue bloods at all.

It turns out Tommy's wife has relatives in Parkland, and her parents moved to SoFla a few years back. "Let me guess -- Boynton Beach?" He was impressed I knew So Fla demographics so well -- indeed that's where his suegros live, in Boca Del Vista Rey, or some such.

He and his wife are probably coming down in October, and we will try to get together and bore our wives with tales of 1966-1969 East Broadway School. It was great to hear his still heavy NY accent -- reminded me of the way I spoke until I met my Midwestern roommates at UM and decided I wanted to sound more like they do than the way I sounded coming straight outta South Central. Nassau County, that is.

So I walked in my Devonwood neighborhood physically, but back in time 55 years, in fact. It was a lovely journey, and hopefully it continues this Fall.