The Club Room
The Club Room was crowded… Wall to wall administrators and their secretaries politely edging each other out for the pieces of chicken pot pie still floating a biscuit on top. Like so many speaking engagements the speaker Is left to fend for himself… I stood looking for a familiar face… Or a less familiar but friendly countenance.. “Here, Ken…we’ve got a spot.” Who belonged to whom? No spouses tonight, just secretaries.. “So…how are your nephews?” And I was in my usual “Who in the heck are you?” trap. “Both fine.” “And David? Where is he?” (I should know this guy. I’d seen his picture or something.. Mild-mannered for an administrator. Almost soft-spoken.) “You know, it meant a lot for me to have David on my team.” Team? YMCA basketball? Soccer? But the guy can’t be a coach.. Too…well….calm…too quiet. “He’s married, right?” “Uh..yeah..in Atlanta.” I can be excused for missing both the city and even the state while I stumble for the guy’s identity…even his sport. “So…” (attempt one) “…just exactly when did he play for you?” “Just that one year. But he was a remarkable young man. It meant a lot to me to have him around.” (No help. Dave’s surely done many things for one year.) “So…you still in coaching?” (Duh..he’s at an administrators’ dinner.) “No. I wasn’t that successful. And I was tired of waking up to Open Line every morning.” (Closer! Closer! Jacksonville! Probably high school!) “Yeah…I don’t blame you. Well..” (okay, time for the big jump…perhaps the big lie) “ …I know that it meant a lot to David to have you as a coach.” His eyes came up from his Waldorf salad. “Really?” The guy was genuinely touched. I feel guilty. What if Dave hated the guy? “He often spoke of you and how you treated the boys like people.” He stopped eating. “That’s…uh..that’s very nice.” Then he added, “I’m glad you told me that.” Conversation drifted off to the Cardinals and the guy’s new job…. But I know that he missed all of my speech that night, thinking instead of David and his gratitude…real or imagined. I finished the speech. I left. I’m terrible with names.