I’m at Hartford’s Bradley Airport having just attended my 50th college reunion. A weekend full of faces known and unknown. “Who’s that?” … was a question I had to ask myself all weekend long. My class consisted of an incredibly accomplished, impressive group. Revealed in part by essays we all submitted prior to the event. Awards were given during a beautiful ceremony on the Trinity College quad. ‘Neath the signature elms the college is known for. You would expect Ritz like treatment from an institution now billed at $70,000 a yr. for incoming freshmen. Right?! But no. We stayed in our old freshman dorms. Just as stark today as the day I lived in them fifty plus years ago.

50th Reunion awards were given out. From the guy who invented the lens in all our iPhones, to the guy who invented devices physicians employ to reach inside us today avoiding invasive surgeries. He had over 120 patents. To the Governor of Massachusetts. A very accomplished lady.

Then came an award given to an alumnae whose six year old son was killed in the Sandy Hook School massacre five years ago. She took her tragedy and turned it into a gift. She formed a foundation in her little son, Ian’s name. And then went out into the world and trained over 2,000,000 families in the art of avoiding gun violence aimed at children. I was stunned. Impressed by all three for sure … but none as much as I was by the unforgettable mother whose foundation lives on in fond memory of her deceased child.

As impressive as these graduates who were honored were, nothing impacted me more than a brief conversation I had with one of my old classmates … Al Elstein.

I kinda knew Al freshman year. A quiet, very slight little guy. As he told me at reunion, “I’m very Jewish” … whatever he meant by telling me that. All freshmen in my time were required to pass a swimming test. Two laps in the college pool. We all showed up for our test one morning … naked. No one ever thought we’d need a bathing suit for a winter class at college in CT!
We arrived at the pool to face the challenge. No problem. My classmates that day were able two swim two laps easily. All aced the exam. All but Al Elstein. He couldn’t swim. While we all completed the test in a minute or so, Al lowered himself gradually into the water. He rolled over, floating on his back and began slowly paddling, meekly, working his way toward the far end of the pool. Must share this too. He seemed almost “Christlike” as he lay his arms stretched out on the surface of the water. There were the typical snickers from our group. One even labeled Al, “The Blade” describing his painful two lap journey through the water … like a knife edging its way along the poolside.

It took Al fifteen minutes to travel the two laps. He faltered, sucked a little water into his lungs along the way and paused a few times. But he made it. “The Blade!” He did it!! All the others had left by the time Al reached the end of the pool. I decided to stay that day.

During our reunion, Al came up to me dressed in casual clothes. A baseball cap pulled down over his narrowed eyes. “Bob Brickley! Hi!” I immediately thought, “Who is this guy?” Then, “Oh my God … it’s the ‘The Blade!’”

Al, do you remember the pool freshmen year? (54 yrs ago!)?!” Al smiled, “Yeah, Bob I do. Freshmen year was a very difficult time for me. No real friends, scared if how I would ever fit in. Especially after my embarrassing swim test that day.”

And then Al said this …

“Bob, I’m so glad I got to see you here. For years I’ve wanted to tell you this. You were the only person who was nice to me that day in the pool. You encouraged me. You congratulated me. When others left the pool that day, you stayed and helped me out of the water. It meant a lot to me. So much. Thank you.”

All the accomplishments my classmates celebrated during reunion weekend recessed to the back of my mind. Those thankful eyes of Al Epstein stood tall … up front in my memory. “Hi, Bob!” I’ll never forget Al’s greeting. My clearest memory. Clearest takeaway from my 50th college reunion.

Lastly, you know? I can’t fully remember being so nice to Al. But then I thought, I really hope that I was. Ah, I know I was. His heartfelt greeting yesterday told me so.

Thanks Al for making my 50th so extra special.