Time

I drove up to New York in the fall to see Erik, who lost his wife in a small plane crash in the summer and suffered burns on 60% of his body (he heroically pulled her out of the intensely burning fuselage).  He has made a miraculous physical recovery (the emotional recovery will take years) with the help of his family.

I really enjoyed my Bucket Trip in the spring and my trip to the Great Northwest in September, but this was my best trip of the year.  Erik is a long lost elementary school BFF from Stapleton, Staten Island.

We had all the time in the world to reconnect after he contacted me on FB a couple of years ago.  But as the greatest writer ever said, I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.

I met Erik's wonderful sister-in-law, who dressed his wounds daily, saw his Mother who used to feed me swiss cheese and tomato sandwiches almost half a century ago while I played with my best friend, and sampled the attractions of Goshen (attending a service with Erik in a pre-Civil War Episcopal Church, touring the national harness racing museum, walking past a structure which U.S. Grant slept in and enjoying a demonstration from a farrier in his blacksmith shop).  Don't ever let time waste you.