A Story About My Good Friend, Gene

For about six years now, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, I meet up with my good friend, Gene, at the Walmart Snack Bar after I leave the library at 3 o'clock when the stock market closes. Gene turned 90 on December 7, 2005 and he enjoys pointing out to others that he was born on 'Pearl Harbor Day'. On these three days out of each week, Gene and I cuss and discuss many things under the sun, particularly politics and St. Louis Cardinals baseball and we often good-naturedly rib each other.

Although Gene suffers from macular degeneration and gets around rather slowly, he stills lives on his own in his own apartment and gets around town on the OATS bus. Back in about 2001, when I arrived at Walmart to get together with Gene, his step-granddaughter, Teresa, was visiting with him in the cafe booth and she had just told Gene, and then told me, that she had been suffering from such a severe headache that morning that she went to her doctor and had a CAT scan done as a precautionary measure.

I told Teresa, "You know, I have headaches, myself, on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Fridays."

Teresa asked me, "About 3 o'clock?"

I replied, "More like 5 o'clock."

Teresa and I then turned to look at Gene on his side of the booth and we both could see 'the wheels turning' in Gene's head.

Finally, Gene replied, "Well, it must be catching because I have headaches on those same days myself," causing Teresa and me to roar with laughter!!!