A Conversation with Elizabeth
2016
Life

From:           Elizabeth 
To:             Larry
Sent:           Friday, May 20, 2016 1:55 PM
Subject:        RE: Isao Tomita Dies
 
Larry,
 
It seems like the kind of thing I might regret later, if I had a nearby opportunity to hear Dylan, but passed up on it.  On the other hand, other than classical music concerts, I have never attended music concerts much.  The casinos down on the Gulf here often draw big acts, and the closest I came to going to one was when the Moody Blues played.  I was teaching down there at the time, so it would have only been a short drive. 
 
I still remember getting to hear Ravi Shankar play at U of F, some time in the early 70s, after I graduated, but before I met you. (I graduated in June 1970).  I also went to what was billed as the Atlanta Pop Festival, although it was actually the second one. That was July 4th weekend in 1970, and I will never forget getting to hear Jimi Hendrix play "The Star Spangled Banner," and then Richie Havens play "Hear Comes the Sun," the next morning.
 
I just found out last night that a DVD has been recently produced of the above festival, emphasizing Jimi Hendrix, but also containing archival footage of the festival.  I put it in my cart at Amazon!
 
When I was on Facebook, your father friended me, and I think I tried without success to find out from him if he remembered any of the people I spent time with in and around 1970.  Almost all of them were in the Chemistry Department!  I remember first names, but not last names, and I'm curious what became of them. 
 
I have a friend in Florida who I knew in elementary school who I got in touch with a few years back now, although I hadn't seen him since elementary school.  Interestingly, while I clearly remembered him, he did not remember me at all, even though he used to come over to my house all the time to play. 
 
Soon after I recontacted him, his wife did the same thing to him which your's may have done to you.  She walked in one day and said, "I want a divorce."  Counseling was out of the question, he said. It was  his second marriage.  It took him totally by surprise.  Unlike you though, they sold their home, he gave away or sold alot of his things, and he moved into an apartment in Pensacola.  He registered with some type of dating site, possibly something like Seniors.com (!) and after a few dates struck it up with a woman I think he had known in school in the past.  She had had four marriages (but twice to the same person).  They live separately, but are pretty glued together now, but neither apparently wants marriage.
 
Once when I had to be down on the Coast, he drove over on I-10 to Mississippi, and we had lunch together at an interstate junction.  I took alot of memorabilia from elementary school along and shared those with him, but since he didn't remember me at all, that was a damper. 
 
Recently, I think because he was having some kinks in his Pensacola relationship, he started asking me to go see Vicksburg with him this Fall. I have at best a marginal interest in the Civil War, and truthfully wasn't much interested in having a closer relationship with him, although he seemed willing.  Eventually, I told him I might meet him there for a day or so, but not a longer stay, and would get my own motel room if I did.  That sort of cooled the invitation, although he said it was still on.  Vicksburg is only two hours or so from me.
 
Anyway, I happened to hear a few weeks ago that Vicksburg's theatre group was putting on a play I wanted to see, and there was an afternoon show which is what I like.  I thought if I spent the night I might be able to see some of the vast military park as well.  So, I got my play ticket and a motel room online, then emailed him and told him my plans.  I told him he was welcome to drive over, even get a play ticket if he wanted, and that maybe he could show me the military park the next day, which is what he wanted to do, but that I had my own room reserved. 
 
He didn't make the play, but came over anyway.  Sunday evening we had dinner and went to some of the overlooks on the Mississippi River.  He got his own room in the same motel as I did.  It went okay, but I didn't like dodging the hints that I spend the night in his room. 
 
Also, after awhile he began to get on my nerves!  In the military park when I went to get out of the car, which we had parked on the side of the road, I said, "Gosh, look at all the poison ivy all around us."  He said something like, "How do you know?"  I said, "Come here and I'll show you," but he had no interest at all and walked away. He wasn't being rude per se--it just struck me over and over that he's not open much to new things. 
 
There were several other examples where the same thing happened.  I had noticed a downtown bank building and perplexedly, although it was evening, many, many people, mostly couples, but some with children, kept going inside and coming back out as well, some dressed up, but many quite casual.  I said to him, "I wonder what on earth is going on in the bank this time of night!"  He said something like, "Dunno!" with absolutely no interest or curiosity.  I said, "Well lets walk across the street and find out!"  He said, "Well, o.k., I guess so, if you want."  So we crossed the street, and I saw a casually dressed couple that were just leaving and said, "Hello, I've seen seeing all the people going inside--is something going on."  She and her husband began to rave that there was a rooftop open air bar and restaurant at the very top of the bank building, and that it gave an awesome view of the city and river-and when I asked she said there was no charge to go in and look or anything!  So, we went up and it was an awesome, impressive view, way out across the Mississippi River into Louisiana, and all around the City. 
 
So anyway, I had a fair time, but it felt like I was with a stick in the mud, or with someone who was not very adventurous.  On the other hand though, his life is in order and he seems like a good person, but I don't seen any later life romance in my future with him!  Plus, when I asked him if he had told Laura that he came over to Vicksburg to meet with me, he said he hadn't, and "let her believe" he was going to be alone.  I didn't take to that very much, as it seemed deceitful, but when I said so, he said, "We're NOT married." 
 
That's about the sum of my "dating" this entire year!
 
I hope you have a pleasant trip in Gainesville!
 
Elizabeth

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