Mimi and I have had several fun “Meet the Artist/Meet the Author” events lately. On Halloween, we performed at The Brilliant Moon in Shelton. The audience was a nice mix of familiar faces and those ‘new to us.’ One of the faces that seemed familiar but that I couldn’t quite put a name to turned out to be one of my high school English teachers, Les Smith. I knew he had copies of my books, but I hadn’t been paying enough attention to Facebook to know to expect him at the party.
Saturday was what Winnie the Pooh would describe as a “very blustery day,” a legitimate excuse for anyone to forego the drive and stay home by the fire. What a sweet surprise to discover that the man who requested I read “You Take the Cake” – a story about making bread – was one of my favorite high school teachers, who made the drive to Shelton from Bremerton.
On Wednesday, we spent the evening at the Olympia branch of Timberland Regional Library and once again were met by a warm and receptive crowd. At the conclusion of our presentations, we drew names for a couple of prizes. The first prize-winner got a box of Mimi’s greeting cards, and the second, a set of my books. Much to my surprised delight, the second name read was Ty Flint, a former English and drama student of mine at Tumwater High School. For many years, Ty was a familiar voice paired with Charlie Brown on KUBE radio in Seattle.
I consider my days in an English class among the best, no matter which side of the desk I was on. These recent surprise reunions serve to remind me that no door is ever completely closed, and that when I least expect it, someone will step through and lead me back to another time and place. I intend to follow up with both Les and Ty to insure that this circle keeps going on. Once around is surely not enough!
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