The DU Lounge

I never met my wife’s previous boyfriends. While they might have been better-looking (no monumental accomplishment), they weren’t smarter, because they were no longer with her. At age 22, none of us were wealthy, and she wasn’t impressed by that anyway. Our younger daughter has had enormous professional success, and for over ten years has earned many multiples of what I do. My wife is happy for her, but not impressed (I confess to both).

You and I have something interesting in common. i used to play in folk clubs in my younger days, too. In fact, my wife and I met in one of them. West Berlin, 1974. She told me later that one of the standard pick-up lines was “I play guitar.” I had no idea about that. When we were introduced, I didn’t mention it, but she had seen me perform, so she knew I played, and appreciated that I didn’t bring it up.

Several years later, we saw Dave Van Ronk performing in Boston, so his name is well-known to us as well. I’ll bet that doesn’t apply to many of us!!

After 52 years of knowing her, I cannot conceive of an existence without her. Since we are now 74, the time is upon us when Mother Nature could take one of us away at any time, and we know it. If I go first, I know she’ll manage. She is that strong. If I lost her, I would be a useless wreck, a genuine rudderless ship in the middle of the ocean. I’ll settle for keepin’ on keepin’ on.