Two crusty old men; two beautiful, smart, accomplished blondes. From left: Debbie Seagle, Bill Kovarik, Sam Seidel, and me.

The Fabric of a Golden Day

There are days in our lives that stick with us, form us, give us warm and important memories, go to our essence, and stay there.

Today was one of those days for me.

It began with Bill Kovarik's journalism class at Radford University where I was a guest participant (I won't say "lecturer" because I don't lecture; I prefer interactive discussion). 

It was a small class of students serious about journalism and because it was interactive, it was stimulating for me. I hope it was for the students.

I didn't know Sam was joining us and when she photo-bombed Elbert and me, I was thrilled. 

The day continued through a tour of Radford's state-of-the-art communications department (Bill, Debbie and I had some fun with the TV set) and finished with Bill, me, Debbie Seagle and my long-time hero Samantha Steidle having lunch at a restaurant, then Bill, Debbie and I soaking up coffee and the marvels of being alive at a coffee shop in downtown Radford on a beautiful pre-spring day.

I occasionally mention golden days in reminiscence and February 21, 2023, will be among the purest gold in the future. I love outgoing, caring, responsible, intelligent people and was surrounded by them today, whether we were talking about artificial intelligence, journalistic ethics, or using portable toilets to predict construction investment for the spring building season. 

Debbie and I as the perfect 6 O'Clock News talking heads.

We discovered that Bill and Debbie had military backgrounds (without actually being in the military) and that each had been assigned to U.S. embassies in foreign countries. What a discussion that prompted. 

Sam is always a wealth of knowledge about a whole array of topics, but mostly about making young people successful people. She is a live wire and her influence is broad and deep. Especially with me.

It was an almost perfect mix of personalities, experiences, eager discussion, and talking/listening in equal measure.

Golden day? Yep. And I want more.

Bill and me: Camera dudes.