Al WAS MY GOOD OLD FRIEND
He was always there whenever you needed him—
a friend you could count on after midnight
when a tire blew out on the N.J. Turnpike.
Always jolly, he could laugh at the bright side
of things, no matter how dire the consequences.
He laughed at having finally discovered the best
way to lose weight: Get leukemia as he did.
He reacted to his death sentence with grace
and dignity, claiming he had done with his life
everything he wanted to do: He visited the
Galapagalos Islands, white-water rafted down
the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, and got
to hike among the oldest Redwood trees in California.
For many years we hiked every week and lunched
at various restaurants. He brought fresh jokes to
our gatherings every week and tried his best to
convince everyone to invest in Berkshire Hathaway.
We could have been rich if we had listened to him.
I miss him so.