“Time is always moving on, Nothing can stop it. The question is whether we use our time properly or not.” ~ Dalai Lama
I got a text that Jimmy was headed to the library. Out of the office I ran, camera in hand, only to realize upon finding an empty sidewalk that he meant Young Library, not King Library where I’m housed. Ordinarily, I might be dissuaded from pursuit, but there was no way I was letting Jimmy McClure come to campus and walk within a few feet of me without hugging his neck. I started walking at a fast clip, as fast as I could without springing a leak anyway, hoping I could catch up with the tour he was taking with his middle son, JD (bottom photo), the budding Civil Engineer and potential Wildcat.
We go way, way back to childhood, me and Jimmy. He is responsible for my love of Monty Python and PBS. It had only been about 30 years since Jimmy and I had seen each other before today, but that hasn’t stopped us from being in contact. He reached out several years ago when I needed him, though I didn’t know I needed him at the time, ironically. No one knows, not even him, how much he has helped me over the last few years when life was like a roller coaster, looking pretty bleak much of the time. He helped me sort through a lot of issues with my aging parents, think things through, get some ideas, and generally put my mind at ease. I would have run across campus in the rain twice to hug him today. It’s so good to have true old friends, and I wouldn’t take nothing for this one. He’s a keeper.
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