Old versus New

There are two prongs to this subject: friends and places.

PianoLady and I grew up in Orlando, where nothing is older than around 100 years. We both grew up with longings to be around older things, and she settled in New England, where 150- and 200-year-old homes can easily be found. When one drives around in Westchester County, there's a depth and charm and history that doesn't exist in Florida, or in Arizona.

I ran to Walgreen's this morning to drop off my disposable camera for processing, and as I walked out I was struck with the spaciousness of Tucson. Everything is spread out. In the Northeast, buildings and people are smack-dab on top of each other. The two areas are so different, and I much prefer the old, the charming, the history.

Cheryl and I have been friends since January 1969. That's 38 years, almost 39 years, thankyouverymuch. It's so nice to spend time with someone who's known you that long and who can confirm or update your understanding of what your life has been like along the way.

There was much of my life happenings that she was unaware of because of her time in Saudi Arabia and her totally overwhelming life since the twins were born. It was interesting for me to tell some of these stories that form my core and hear her say, "You're kidding!"

This camaraderie and affirmation is why we keep repeating these October weekends every year.