…Terry, she was always in a hurry to live her life, she longed to rest and read and meditate but couldn’t sit still for very long. She found a dog and named it Derry, a miniature Irish Setter, a Doodle. Derry wasn’t suited for long morning runs; he would wait patiently at the side door for her turn to roam aimlessly off leash, though he was trained and safe with Terry on the farm side trails. Terry was smart and frugal, she sewed her own clothes and cooked meals from scratch, pennies saved to build a quiet life after a career which allowed her to travel far and wide to see the world. It wasn’t just a dog that she nurtured, many people passed through her rich life, great friends near and far, partners who she supported (and adapted to), a family who depended on her. Some years ago, she met a man, entirely through fate and compatibility.
They came from different worlds in age and background and demeanor. He was reserved, an introvert, accustomed to putting off bold adventures, practical to a fault. He grew up in the city and carried a combination of caution, oddly mixed with an inclination for risk taking and rule breaking, contrary to the crowd. He worked as a research scientist at Caltech, on loan to the Jet Propulsion Library. His specialties were risk assessment and mission planning; the work fit his demeanor, immersed he could retreat and be productive. On that fateful day there was a group visiting from IBM and the attendees were full of questions and brimming with bright-eyed interest. It was all interesting to him as well. He was sitting at a table with work on his mind, but
he was also an observer, and who could be more different than this slender but strong woman, perfectly dressed and at ease within herself, with the soft southern accent. Maybe she wasn’t at ease with herself, but she sure didn’t show it. “You have a southern accent, and you live and work in the California Bay Area?”
He always wanted a dog, to name Spot. “Tell me about Derry”; she was warming up to him, an animal lover like her. From the very start he knew that he couldn’t quite compete with her talents and intellect, and that deep down and oh maybe he had discovered plutonium for the first time. Rare and valuable. “I could run with you, that’s what I do”. “I do too of course” she replied. “I know, I overheard you talking about running with Derry”. The tour group stayed for the night, and they invited him to join, at a softly lit terrace restaurant, the air was heavy and cooling just a bit as the sun retreated. Neither of them was a big drinker, they liked to nurse their drinks, he a light beer and she (of course) was an expert on wine. That first night he would take her lead
and allow her to order a glass for each of them. There was no sense in trying to contribute to the wine choices; it was easier to just stare at her in action. “Can I see you again at breakfast? Or maybe we could meet for an early morning run, that would be nice.” She didn’t know this man – a stranger still, but something about his eyes, his attention, the way he deferred to her gave her comfort that this was a small adventure worth taking.
The next morning, they met at the hotel door with an awkward hug and ran out into the quiet streets. Please let me lead, have you ever seen the Rose Bowl up close? As they ran the streets there was an odd familiarity with the large estates lining the way, minus the crowds and carrying the imprints of endless bright, cold, sunny New Year’s Day parades. A right turn down a narrow neighborhood street, cars start to stir from narrow dark driveways, the sidewalks bent up and over the roots of high leaning oak and eucalyptus trees; watch your steps. They crossed a wide intersection and suddenly a large oval loomed ahead, welcoming in red script that you are here at the Rose Bowl. She ran at a fast pace for her small frame, he thought he could win a test of endurance, but he was happy to lead and lag, across streets he lightly touched her arm like a rudder to steer her safely. And time stopped right there, he thought to himself right then, “you and I – we are the same…” They wandered back up to the hotel, lingering to talk, dressed and said goodbyes after breakfast. It was unspoken but they each wondered, when will I see you again?…
