3 Point Stan
POW! Right in the kissah.
I bumped into Jerry in Newport this summer and just wanted to quickly say hello. He would have kept talking for as long as I wanted but he was doing the same thing I was: sneaking away for a couple of days with his bride, and I wasn't going to drag him into a "If you could be ANY Adam Vinatieri kick, which kick would you be?" discussion - but he would have stood there, wives be damned, and had it! After we parted ways, my wife asked who that was and why I'd never mentioned him before. When I explained to her who he is, and that was only the second time I'd ever met him (and that I am not even sure if he would have recalled the first time) she was completely shocked. She said, "he was speaking to you as if you've known each other forever." I just tried to explain him as a "regular guy." She 100% got it.I'll tell him. And I actually will. Like any Artist, he always likes to hear stories of how his skills affect people whether he's met them or not.
That was, I'm sure, a cathartic thing for him to write. He doesn't typically get that deep and reflective-- claiming that he has "one all-purpose mood", which is a big exaggeration,
but he does have a rare gift for making people cry with the things he writes, so I know he is actually softer-hearted than he'd like folks to think. He did the Eulogy
for a really close Friend of his, really a wonderful guy that everybody loved, a few weeks back and the guy's family cried a river at the way Jerry honored his memory, but in a
happy way. He can make you laugh hard or cry depending on what you need most at the time, so it isn't just you. He's a fine Wordsmith.
Anyhow, his new house is really nice and it's a short walk to a gorgeous beach-- which is one of the local secrets. Our favorite part of the move is that he has
extra parking spaces which we intend to use regularly. He and his Wife are going to be really happy there and so will his Sons and future Grandkids. The next phase
will have some benefits, too.
I am glad he shares personal stories like this as I am slightly behind him, grappling with similar issues while raising two boys (I did purge my attic last year, so I am one up on him in that regard). He is just a down-to-earth, relatable guy. Hope he enjoys his Camelot II.