Iannuccilli: Do You Come to Providence?
Monday, February 24, 2020
I went to my barber last week, following which I took my usual stroll through Wayland Square in Providence. I have been going there for years; when I lived nearby and now when I come into Providence from our home in Bristol. I like Wayland Square …. neat shops, the bookstore, the coffee shop, a nice sandwich shop, people and students milling and talking around.
I strolled from the dangerous attraction of Books on the Square and was heading to a coffee shop when I turned the corner and bumped into Bernie, a longtime friend (I have no old friends). I had not seen him in a while. He was as refined, dignified and engaging as always. It was so nice to see him. When you see a friend you have not seen in some time, there is a gap easily bridged. We caught up quickly.
We chatted, making eye contact, pleased that here we were in our eighth decade and still busy, active, he especially so chairing an important board. We had rarely crossed paths in our professional careers, but we shared a bond of having our forefathers come from the same town in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. What remarkable opportunities they afforded us.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAppreciating that history, Bernie said, “We need to catch up, have lunch one day. Where are you living?”
“Sure. I would love to. Bristol. I’ve been in Bristol for twenty-five years.”
“Oh yeah, right.” And then he asked a question that perhaps reflected our prevailing provincialism. “Do you get to Providence often?”
Chuckling, I replied, “Well, sure, of course, I do, Bernie. Here I am,” I paused, realizing that yes, I come to Providence, but not as regularly as I once did. When I do, I combine bunches of things. Today, it was the barber, the bookstore and a weekly lunch with friends for a conversation with an Italian professor. How funny. Only a few miles away, and I come only of necessity. These days, I like to stay in the East Bay.
“We should have lunch, or at least a coffee.” He uttered those magic words … lunch, coffee. It was good because I like to meet with friends, especially those I have not seen in a while, to catch up and explore new ideas. It wasn’t about eating or drinking. It was about talking, sharing, commiserating, looking to the future. Yes, we were busy senior citizens with more to do, much to accomplish. In no way did we, or could we, dwell on being seniors. But …
“Bernie, it’s hard to believe we’ve gotten to this age. When my father was fifty, I thought he was old. And, you know what, he was.“
‘Yes, yes, I agree,” Bernie replied. “We’ll have much to share. I’ll be in touch.”
How nice. I am looking forward to our meeting and spending some time with this gentleman friend.
Lucky for me that I turned the corner.
Ed Iannuccilli is the author of "Growing up Italian" and "What Ever Happened to Sunday Dinner?" and "My Story Continues" can be found here.
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