The Day after Father's Day

I think I am brave/crazy for moving out to the desert to write a book no one may ever read in print. Then I hear about people like Gary's son. Let's call Gary's son Adam.

Gary reminds me a bit of a very tan, heavier Stanley Tucci. He wears a fishing cap and dark round Armani-like sunglasses and black leather loafers. Most mean wear white tennis shoes. You understand. He's direct and quick and pays attention. Unlike many of the other people at the park his age - he's 71 - Gary converses. It's not that anyone is really unfriendly, they just love to talk.

Yesterday, Gary and I were sitting on the bench away the circle of regular dog-owners that congregate in the shade of a mesquite tree as the sun sets over the Patagonia Mountains. Gary and I have a few things in common. We went to the same college and we're both from small Midwestern towns. He usually asks me how the writing is going. This time he added, "You must be bored without people your own age." I admit that yes, I am bored a times. Gary kind of grunts when he talks, "I should introduce you to my son." This is something I anticipated happening. Nearly everyone in the dog park is 30 years my senior. They probably have a son... "He's too old for you though." Adam is 45. I'm 36! Gary looks at me, "You're 36? You're becoming an old maid aren'tcha?" So, I say, "And I'm proud of it." Gary didn't believe it. I said, "I could have been married but I would have been divorced now. And I kinda like holding onto my money." Gary understood, "Yeah, lawyers fees and all that." So, we came to an understanding.

I said to Gary, I would be happy to have someone just to hang out with. Where does he live? Adam lives in San Diego. And he's not looking for anything serious either, since he has an 18-year old daughter and a four-year old son. Meaning, he's finished with fathering children, if that's what I wanted. The thing about Adam is that he has one arm. He was hit by a bus that ran a red light while he was passing by on his motorcycle. His left arm is inoperable and just hangs there for now. That's how Gary put it. It just hangs there! No prostheses will serve him. All of his nerve endings were seared-off. His settlement was large enough that he doesn't need to work. He's stays active swimming, weight-lifting, riding his motorcycle, etc. So active in fact, that he has tendinitis in other arm. He sounds like a great guy I tell Gary. And I meant it. Wouldn't you know, he's a writer too! He has not published and is not writing, but he has a lot of ideas, Gary said.

A parent's faith in their children's ability, unproven, is amazing. Gary's you-should-meet-my-son pitch was almost as amazing to me. Most people wouldn't lead with their son's lack of an arm. And, I guess Gary wasn't really letting me know what Adam did not have as much as he was sure I would see how brave and strong his son is to him.