Morality Play

In my single days, I had a platonic friendship with a young woman.

We were both in the midst of escaping from unsatisfactory relationships and, for some reason, hit it off. It may have succeeded because we shared a sense of humor and that we weren't lovers (that seems to make things a lot easier). She was somewhat younger and hadn’t yet established her roots; I recall that she lived in a variety various places; on any given day I would never know where she was staying.

One place where she did reside for a short time was at the house of one of her aunts in Northeast Minneapolis (I think it may have been in estate proceedings and her relatives were glad to have someone house-sit). While there she asked me to come over to hang out and “talk”. She liked to talk. A lot. I would follow along, and occasionally her monologue would morph into an actual conversation between the two of us. I was learning to listen. In the background a late-night rerun of Alfred Hitchcock Presents was on TV, the little morality plays it presented often influenced direction our discussion. After the show I reluctantly had to take my leave, but I knew that we'd interact again.

And we did: as neighbors, housemates, and numerous other adventures. The memory of night spent with her and Alfred Hitchcock never left me. I learned from that episode and despite my years of waywardness did slowly evolve into something resembling a human being.

I still see her every year or so and she is always up for a “chat.”

I am still ready to listen.