Connections Across Time

So yesterday I was about my few miles, keep the cardiologist at bay walk, and I ran into our neighbor Alex.  He's a doc at UM, 10 years younger and 60 lbs lighter than I, and he was about to start his run.  We had both been at Titanic the evening before, but Wifey and I, on account of being old, left at 9:30 when we learned the singer, Nil Lara, wasn't coming on until 10.  Alex and his wife stayed, and enjoyed the music.  He asked about Steve, our mutual favorite UM professor, now retired and living in Virginia, to be close to his grandkids, and I said that by coincidence, Steve, Mary, his wife, and grandson were coming over tonight. Alex sent regards...

He ran off, and I walked, and Eric called me, from FLL.  He and Dana were on their way to Iceland via Boston, and my partner Paul and his lady were on the same flight (to stay in Boston for a wedding -- not en route to Iceland).  They caught up, and I told Eric I was seeing Steve in the evening.  He send regards, too.

I thought about the years. I met Steve when I was a sophomore at UM, and he was a new Religious Studies professor, with a newly minted doctorate from Duke.  He was southern, and I was as Yankee as they come.  He was Presbyterian, and I was a Jew, and we became friends in a friendship that remains 36 years later.

One summer, he and Mary asked me to house and kid sit, and I did, for their awesome little boys.  They must have been 8 and 5, and now they're two accomplished, married men.  The older, Eric, is a nationally known political analyst and strategist in D.C., and has a boy, 4, and girl, 2.  David the younger lives in Napa, and with his Duke college degree and Stanford Law degree, plus 2 federal clerkships, works for the governor overseeing human rights issues.  David and his wife don't plan on kids -- and so Steve and Mary moved to the same town as Eric and Julie live.

Last night they came over with their amazing grandson -- a mini me of his father.  He's 4, extremely smart, sweet (are your dogs hungry?) and ALL boy.  He played with the dogs, and swam in the pool while we all caught up.  It was delightful to have him over.

I took him to my man cave and gave him a primer on the Canes -- the team his Dad grew up adoring.  I have a small model of the beloved Orange Bowl, and I gave it to him -- he was thrilled.  I'm pretty sure his Dad Eric will like it, too.

Wifey asked Steve and Mary how often they see their grandkids.  Oh -- about 4 days per week, they answered.  These are two lucky kids.  Wifey and I hope to emulate Steve and Mary -- we're definitely ready for the grandparent gig.

The hours flew by, as we talked of days past, and the current political nightmare with the cartoonish president.  But Steve reminded us, we survived Nixon -- we'll get past the Donald, too.

I've always loved connections, and small world tales.  Yesterday's were exquisite.