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Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:06:06 -0400

I can't believe I ate the whole thing

What's with Open Salon?

Thu, 7 Jun 2012 11:06:36 -0400

Open Salon is the talk of the office:

This love affair came to an end at Yale-New Haven

Sun, 4 Mar 2012 20:03:53 -0500

Death came unexpectedly to a boyfriend of a close friend of mine in January. My friend, who is a classmate from college, had met a doctor from the city through friends roughly five years ago. He had a weekend house on the Connecticut shore in the same town she did and in fairy tale fashion they both fell in love immediately.

They both had a few things in common and one was having relatively recent divorces as part of their life histories. Two things they did not have in common were their ages and occupations. My friend is a writer and not connected in any way to the field of medicine like her boyfriend was. There was also an age difference of fifteen years, but when you're in middle age it's really not of an issue, unless your true love passes on partly due to his age.

I watched this love story develop and flourish from day one which only added to the sadness that enveloped me when it ended. This was a couple that loved to play Scrabble together and because he had an apartment in the city she suddenly had a foothold in the city that hadn't ever been a part of her life prior to meeting him.

Along the way she had to sell her house and split the proceeds with her ex-husband. I thought for sure he would ask her to move in with her, but he never did and she found a cute place to rent instead. Interestingly enough, it was always at his house in the same town or his apartment in the city that they were together and only rarely at her place.

Early on in the relationship he spoke of his desire to marry again, but some five years into their time together no marriage proposal was ever forthcoming.

Her Yale B.A. degree was part of her appeal to him, along with her younger age she confided in me. She was so happily in love that she passed along some creative pieces she had written to me and said she hadn't felt so motivated in years to begin writing stories that had been on the back burner for a long time.

They traveled together around New England and the Middle Atlantic states. Old and quaint b&b's were always the accomodations they sought when on the road.

Eating out at least one night a week whether in Connecticut or New York was part of their routine. A few theater productions were among events they took in, but no concerts of any sort during their time together, although their musical tastes were a close match. He read Eat, Pray, Love and passed the book over to her afterwards. What they may have discussed about the book I didn't happen to hear.

Despite his older age, he was handsome and energetic, and would be considered a "great catch" by many.

So it was in the midst of this world of shared interests and time together over nearly five years that cancer entered the stage and in relatively short order took him away from her.

Part of the sad aftermath of the story is how she was never made a one hundred percent member of his world. His relatives are now going through his possessions and will likely sell his house and his apartment in the city will revert to a rental for someone else to move into. This is an aspect of the way she has been shut out of the world they shared together. His relatives have no interest in talking to her or sharing anything with her. Had they married, or if he had provided for her in his will, the scenario would have been totally different for her. For me it is a dual shock, his untimely passing and his leaving her with nothing from their five years together except for her happy memories.

The Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven where the love affair ended in January.

The New York Marathon is coming

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:09:21 -0400

Dennis and I talking about my training for the marathon and more.

My interview with Dennis about his bullies

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:09:50 -0400

Back at my favorite bistro tonight. This time Dennis joined me for dinner.

Larry Lauerman's Open Salon Blog

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What's with Open Salon?

This love affair came to an end at Yale-New Haven

The New York Marathon is coming

My interview with Dennis about his bullies