An Interesting Gent

I am totally bummed, and am faced with further confirmation of one of my axioms: strike while the iron is hot. If something is worth doing, do it now. Why wait? For a couple years now I've wanted to talk to an elderly gentleman who walks the main street near me in rain, snow, sleet, shine, or even fire and brimstone! I mean the guy is a fixture here. You used to see this guy with his walker virtually any time of the day on his part of the street. The reason is he did the stretch 3 times a day, and at 91 years old it took him a while to complete it.

Last month I finally got the courage to ask if I could interview him for an article in this local newspaper I submit a once per month piece. He said ok, and I sat on it for a month because I wasn't in a rush. Now as background, the reason I thought he would be so interesting is because when I spoke with him about a year previously I noticed his accent. Judging his age I thought there was a good chance he came to America after WWII.

I spoke with his wife today, and turns out he was a German Jew, and had fought in the War with the Brits and came here in 1947. Unfortunately his health is failing now though, and he doesn't want to be put in print. I am certainly not a journalist, and just write a minor column. Journalism seems to have a bad rap though. I can't even imagine the stories this man could tell, or the wisdom that must bubble up to the surface like a geothermal feature at Yellowstone. I still hope to meet him as a friend and not write about it. If only I had called him right away last month he likely would have been more amenable to this. We really can't take this generation for granted. As they depart they take so many stories, knowledge, life experience and real wisdom with them. Unfortunately most of us just don't care.