What a terrific way to start off a beautiful North Carolina morning! Just in time for the Men’s Breakfast, a dazzling sun came streaming in through those wonderful wide windows of the new “private dining room.” The breakfast, a sign-up only event, filled all 80 allotted spaces with us guys. Usually the more rogue of the genders, we were all pretty compliant with the request to wear nametags.
At my table we had a very distinguished former University leader, a well-connected lobbyist, and four retired professionals and business types. One was a newcomer to Carolina Meadows, and I was delighted that he had made the effort to break the ice by signing up for the breakfast. We, in turn, had “delivered” by engaging him completely in the conversation—and by wearing our name tags.
The breakfast was great—real “guy food.” Home made corned beef hash appeared along with other special items in a cafeteria-style service. So we took exactly what we wanted, which is not always the case with the watchful concerned eye of a spouse at the table.
Our conversation took an unexpected turn: a full half-hour of “inside baseball”. One among us was a third cousin of Marty Marion. A second was an avid Red Sox fan. A third had been an ace pitcher at University and even made it into the White Sox farm team before ending his career early because of a rotator cuff injury. A fourth reminisced about his days at the Cardinals’ Stadium watching Musial, Schoendienst, and Slaughter, with Pee Wee Reese at Short. Another was accused of being behind the creation of a Cubs Club in Washington D.C. He didn’t deny it. And we engaged in lots of speculation about how Marty Marion figured in, and when Bill White left first base.
The EXCUSE for the breakfast was the guest speaker, Christopher Angus, a “sometime” Londoner (actually born in South Africa) and retired businessman, who gave us the details about the difference between the CITY of London, and “Greater London.” His remarks came complete with history, geography, and as ever politics. He began by asking the audience how many of us had been to London. I guess there were maybe three un-raised hands. That’s just who we are.
But the REASON for the breakfast was good old-fashioned let-what’s-left-of-your-hair-down time with the Fella’s. Carolina Meadows at its best.