Beyond the Byline: Of Lily, Becky and vibrancy

WILKES-BARRE — When I sat with Ben Bradlee Jr. this week to talk about his return to Luzerne County, he asked me a question.

Ben asked me to offer the most memorable interview/person I have ever encountered over the years.

I couldn’t answer that question because there have been so many. And that is not being evasive, nor is it an exaggeration.

When you have been around as long as I have in this business, you meet a lot of people — politicians, celebrities, community icons, big shots, heroes.

Memories that will last forever.

But when I think about it, a few do stand out. One would be meeting Mickey Mantle and sitting down with him and chatting. “The Mick” was retired and he was in the Poconos to speak at an event regarding some big project out there. We sat and chatted about the Yankees and it was an amazing conversation.

And there have been many amazing conversations and experiences and they will stay with me forever.

But as my birthday weekend passes, I want to take some time to talk about animals.

I mean, it was nice to post some pictures on the Facebook — me as a baby rolling down a hill in a wagon, me in a cowboy outfit, me all dressed up for Easter Sunday, me at the “Welcome to Commerce” sign when I did a pilgrimage to Mickey Mantle’s birthplace, me with mom and dad, me, me, me.

Enough about me. Yes, I am grateful to have been able to celebrate another birthday and I cherish having many, many more. But not to worry, there will be no cake with numerous candles to risk fire code violations. I choose to celebrate with a quiet dinner, maybe a movie and Yankee baseball — win or lose. They are up 1 game to 0 as I write this.

I have had many good moments, several not so good and a few that I would care to not recall. It’s called living and learning. I’ve done that — in fact I have a Ph.D. in Life Experience Learning.

And this job I have, well, it’s the best use of whatever talents and brain matter I have. Every day is a challenge. I wake up and head to the newsroom, never completely sure of what the day will bring. And those days have brought me to many people, stories and memories.

But today, I want to talk about two pals of mine who have passed on — Becky and Lily.

Becky was my neighbor’s (Barbara) dog — the cutest little Bichon Frisé who absolutely stole my heart. Becky was the best dog I have ever known. She was beyond cute and cuddly and she loved her treats. She also had an insatiable sweet tooth.

On one Christmas in particular, I had purchased some Jon L. Stopay Peanut Butter Chiffons for a dear friend — actually, Becky’s human grandmother, Mrs. Shevock. Anyway, as family and friends were gathered in Becky’s human mother’s home, Becky suddenly appeared walking across the room with the box of those Peanut Butter Chiffons clenched in her teeth. It was as if she was saying, “I got my present, see you all later.”

We had to stop her and explain that those were not for her.

Forgivable sins of a little dog who you couldn’t help but love.

I would take Becky to the groomer to get all gussied up. When she was done, I would take her to the pet store for treats. I would walk Becky into the store and everybody would fuss over her — especially when she had those pink ribbons in her hair.

Becky was special and I miss her dearly.

And then there was my Lily. This was a cat that did not see the good in almost any human. I mean it took a long time for her to realize that I was the source of treats for her and if she was good to me, I would reward her properly with her favorite snacks.

Lily was my constant companion. She softened over the years and actually got to the point where she would cuddle with me and allow me to pet her. Every day when I got home, Lily would be at the top of the steps waiting for a belly rub, and a treat or two.

I realized Lily loved me when she would constantly pace and meow whenever I started packing a duffel bag to go on a vacation. She knew I would be gone for a few days and I knew she would miss me — probably as much as I would miss her.

And when she died at 19-and-a-half, I cried. I miss her every day for so many reasons.

So as another birthday comes and goes, I just wanted to say how much I miss these two furry friends.

I also want to say a few things about older people, who do possess a great deal of vibrancy these days.

Oh, it may take us a little longer to get up and down the steps, but we still can. Except for learning everything there is to know about computers, we create Facebook pages, text our friends and family and post photos and videos from our smart phones. And we FaceTime!

We don’t like terms like for a “mature” person, such as elderly, living on a pension, retired, geriatric, Methuselah, retiree, golden-ager, old-timer, oldie, oldster, geezer or blue-haired beauty.

Some of us are still very active and contributing to our community, whether it be at the movies, a dance, committee meetings, volunteering or at our Alma mater’s football games. We contribute, not just to charities, but to society, as well. We want to be — and are — a part of this community’s fabric. We can learn something new, as well as teach those who have so much to learn.

We realize that nobody lives forever, but despite our age, we still live vicariously. We can play golf, or basketball, or swim. We can write, chat, text and be witty. We can tell stories of our youth and embellish them with details young folks can relate to.

We prefer to be compared to those classic automobiles or movies or recipes — you know, the kind of things that people rave about and marvel at.

Our generation should be savored like your grandmother’s favorite soup, or your great-granddad’s ‘57 Chevy, or “Gone With the Wind.”

We are vibrant — so go ahead and marvel and rave about us.