Two weekends when I was in Connecticut I took Tommy and Caroline(my kids) to the beach.Tommy is seven and Caroline is two.We went to a private beach since I didn't have a beach sticker for the public ones.I used to go to this beach because some of my friends lived in the association that was entitled to use it.We parked not far up the road at the house of someone I knew.
Upon walking across the grass and arriving at the sandy beach I noticed a man sitting at a picnic table that was on the beach.He had an orange ballcap and t-shirt on and a beer and cigarettes in front of him.He did not look our way.The kids went straight toward the water and I walked nearer to the man.
He started to look familiar and then I realized I knew him from this very park were we used to play football and baseball and basketball some 35 years ago.
Now I had heard that he had mental illness problems and had gone off the deep end a few times so I didn't know what to expect but I called his name while walking toward him.He looked at me and said "Robby M".
I smiled and said "Well aren't you a nice man to remember a friendly face from the past."
I sat down and asked "What do you say we call up the guys and play a little football?" and he replied looking at me and smiling "Baseball."
MK are his initials and he and JH used to play myself and JR in basketball and as he recalled they could never beat us, it was always 21 to 17.I really hadn't remembered those details and we talked more and laughed about some other things.I remember he and JH were just so fast,they would do a little head fake and run right past you.
He was lucid and articulate and I was happy that he was doing so well.He was always such a good kid always smiling.
I watched my kids look for treasure along the shore the way I had done when I was their age.Tommy has the blonde hair and blue eyes that I had as a child and it was like I was seeing myself way back when, playing by the shore.
I knew it wasn't the end of the line but I also knew I had come full circle.
Peace