Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Old Friendships Renewed - Its a Small World


I been expecting the HP computer I ordered to arrive for several days now.

Yesterday it arrived. It was delivered by a delivery company. I heard the doorbell ring and Willow let out her customary one bark and I knew it had to be somebody delivering the computer. As I rushed through the living room in the front window I saw the delivery truck in the street by my driveway.

The driver, a tall man, handed me an electronic gizmo and asked me to sign it. Which I did. He was standing by the big box he was delivering.

He looked at the signature and asked me what my name was. No body can read my signature. I said "Edwin Hunter".

He then said, "What's my name?"

That question confused me and for the first time I focused on his face. It was an ex-postal co-worker of mine Bill! Bill had gained some weight in his face, but he had the same mischievous smile, but now that mischievous smile had whitened teeth.

We had a brief reunion and gave each other the latest news about one another and our kin.

Bill quit the post office a few years before I retired. He had started a profitable business earning more than his postal job. He had bought some land in the north Georgia mountains, and was buying trailers, putting decks on the trailers and selling them on lots. He convinced a bank to back financially. The last I heard he was doing really well.

Bill always went chasing bucks in an aggressive manner. One time he had a part time job as a repo man. He had some wild tales to tell about repossessing cars. He is big and fearless and ballsy.

I would almost bet he was a bully in grammar school.

This past year we spent a week up in the mountains at a cabin with a great view and I wondered then if he was still up in the same area wheeling and dealing... and was "this one of his cabins?"

I asked him what happened to his land development and trailer/cabin deal. He said, he like many other speculating land investors went broke. It was that simple.

The economy hurt many people. And I think the speculators got hurt the worse.

One time Bill, Chuck, a co-worker, and I almost got into a fight with some rednecks at a bar, but that is a different episode of my life.

Bill seemed his old positive and daring self, once I started talking to him. I think one day he will have another business venture, which will be another adventure. He will not let the grass grow under his feet for long.

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