L.P. at the E.R.

Every Saturday morning at 9:00 I go to the Elbow Room Cafe and meet L.P. for breakfast. We talk, eat, drink coffee, talk some more. Sometimes after we eat we go on a short adventure, maybe to check out his brother's cabin up at the lake or just run a few errands around town. You know, exciting stuff. This hour or two is one of the high points of my week.
I have known L.P. literally all my life. Our parents were friends when we were children, then later we worked together. When I say "worked together'', that is exactly what I mean. For a number of years, before computers, we had adjacent drafting tables and even shared a telephone. Eventually we moved up and were were separated by office walls, but he was still there. Most of the other office conversation seem to revolve around sports. While I could dip my toes into that conversation for a while, it wasn't anything I cared about. L.P. was the person with whom I could discuss politics, philosophy, or the latest NOVA program. We exchanged books and articles. We shared an interest in obscure things like heritage roses, antique fly rods, native orchids and tallgrass prairie restoration. Over the years, who was influencing who, became obscured.
Then in a dark time, he left our company. Of course he found a better job almost immediately, but I was left isolated, alone...with no one but jockstraps to talk to. It was a dark time indeed. Our one hour a week helps keep me centered and focused again. Thanks.