Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
at 1:10am
I was born and raised in Pasadena, California. My mom used to love going to the local bookstore Vroman’s to browse. That was the first time I heard the word browse. I asked her what it meant, and she described an activity of leisurely and pleasurable walking through an appealing store. Mom loved to read, and shared that wonderful passion with me. Vroman’s was and remains a landmark in the lovely city of Pasadena in Southern California. It is without a doubt my first choice of where I want to do a presentation and book signing. Well, a gentleman named Mike Farmer, who I know through networking, has arranged such an event for me in July. On Tuesday, July 6 at 7 p.m. I will be doing a presentation and signing there. I am thrilled about it, and really want my Pasadena pals to join me for the celebration. I am proud to be from Pasadena. It is a diverse town (more so than when I was younger), charming, and has character. I hope that this event brings together a diverse group of Pasadena folks and others. Details of the event will be following, but if you plan in advance, mark your calendar and plan to be there.
Saturday, April 17th, 2010
at 1:34pm
When I was in high school, I became very good friends with a girl named Carole Ann. Her father died during our high school years, and I helped her through some of her grieving. I hadn’t seen or heard from her for over 40 years, but always wondered what had happened to her and how her life turned out. I had asked other high school classmates of her whereabouts, but no one knew where she was or what she was doing. Just when I thought it was a hopeless search, her name popped up as a suggestion to “friend” on Facebook. I sent her an invitation and message, but didn’t hear anything back from her. I did notice her employer, so I Googled that company and was able to find her. I sent an e-mail to her work, and within minutes got a phone call from her. She was thrilled to be in touch, and began asking me questions about my life, people she knew, and I asked her questions about her path since our last visit in 1966. I had to inform her that her best friend had been killed in a bicycle accident. Carole indicated that she had pretty much left Pasadena in her past, but was quite happy to have reconnected with me. She had the same bubbly personality and spirit that I remembered from the past. We didn’t talk much about our past relationship, but we both learned about the path each of us had taken. We both had gotten doctorate degrees, and actually lived within a mile of each other in the early 80s in the San Francisco bay area. Though many people leave their past in the past, I strongly believe in the value of reconnecting with people who were a significant part of our development. The popularity of Facebook supports this point. I could tell from her comments that she was grateful that I had been persistent in my search for her. The natural course of events for most people is to move forward in life with new relationships, and leave the old ones behind. Though that may be the choice and course for some, I suggest that we are open to reconnecting, especially with people who were an integral part of our development. This experience and my reconnection with Carole Ann has reaffirmed my belief in the value of merging the past, present, and future. Reach out and touch someone (as the old commercial used to say), and the result may add some meaning to your life.
