ONE IN A MILLION...

This past year I lost a very dear friend and mentor

In this crazy circus of a life,
As I tried to juggle and balance on the high wire
He was my safety net.

This is for him:

For more than two decades,my friend,Bill organized charity sales.
Palm Sunday and Labor Day.
Always the same flier:
“Annual Sidewalk Sale
Antiques,Books,Paintings,Jewelry,Glass and,of course,Junk.”
This was “Bill’s Sale”.
Where you could still find a treasure.
For a quarter.
Dealers,buyers and browsers came from near and far.
It was a buying,selling and social event.
A sidewalk circus.

As promised,donations ranged from the exquisite to the mundane.
Every penny went to charity.
The Cancer Home.
Then AIDS foundations.
Breast cancer.
The list went on.

In his starched white shirt,
Bill’s greeting was always the same,”Hey,whatdya know?”
World War II veteran,he studied law.
Until his mother was stricken with cancer.
Bill left school to take care of her.
Worked at The Bulletin newspaper .
Later opened an antiques shop.

Bill’s shop was dark and mysterious.
Saints cavorted with demons.
Amongst the Czech glass.
This is where we met.

“One in a million.”
Not a cliche.
When it came to Bill.
He practiced kindness.
Every day.
So quietly.
That only you and he would know.

 

photograph : Bob Bell