David
PART 2:
Despite my trepidation, I answered the phone.
And it was my youthful big city journalism era nemesis -- the TV-radio critic.
And he wasn't
snotty at all.
He was warm,
kind, like a long lost brother...or college roommate to reconnect with.
We never were close at all, obviously.
But suddenly, two
men in their 50s, still married to their wonderful wives, were bonded like we had
been best friends for ages.
The critic was
certainly apologetic, but the call wasn't about that at all.
It was about men,
learning to care, learning to prioritize, learning to grow beyond youthful
pettiness.
We ended up
talking about wars and peace. Betrayals and redemption. Of triumphs and
tragedies experienced by mutual friends from the newspaper we crossed paths at
-- the Columbus Dispatch.
We are both busy
people. He's a leading sports columnist, a brilliant and passionate writer.
I work in marketing communications for urban design and town planning -- an outgrowth of the beat I settled into after leaving the late night and work in a fishbowl life of an arts critic back.
But we talked for nearly an hour. I didn't want to hang up the phone.
Movies have been
based on less heartwarming events, adapted from stories less ironic and amazing
than the long and winding road that led to our mobile phone bonding session.
We became
Facebook friends. Maybe that's corny, but it is the format of modern
communication.
I took great joy when he liked or commented on some aspect of my life.
I shared some of
his insightful posts -- on sports and life -- with my friends.
We both weathered
the 2016 presidential election (and were not happy with the results).
We shared stories
of diversity, what both of us still believe is the backbone of America.
Now, bigotry, misogyny,
race baiting, hatred, prejudice, anti-Semitism, outright attacks on peaceful practitioners
of the Muslim faith and mockery dehumanizing people with disabilities is
embraced by the elected leader of the free world.
It seems, in the
same month as the election, very appropriate to give thanks for the opportunity to get to know...to really know...the true big heart and essence of my new friend.
I thought long
and hard about keeping his identity anonymous in this essay.....at least to all
but fellow alums of the Dispatch newspaper or those obsessed enough to look up
who was the TV-Radio critic in the late 1980s there.
But I'm going to
share the name, because I have great admiration, respect and yes, I'll say it,
even love for the person who was big enough to read my email, take stock in
what I said and reach out to me with a warmth and kindness that seems so rare
in these days of anger, bile and bellicose online posts.
My
"new" friend is David Jones.
He’s an acclaimed
columnist for PennLive.com
He's married to
the former Ana Al-Khouri.
They have a
family.
David is one of
the good guys.
Big hearted.
Honest and open.
For the bond we
created about a year ago -- and the darn near Hollywood feel good story forged
from the bizarre and initially rocky road that brought us together -- I am
thankful for.
This is my
Thanksgiving story.
Thank you David.
May you and your family feel the same warmth, love and joy that I am feeling as
I share this story.
Happy Thanskgiving
me
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