Alright so to follow up with episode 15 –
As I sat down with a guy who by shear accident asked me to join him… I felt immediately at peace.
Brady was from Texas working at Wright Patt as an Air Force Captain, Astronaut, and currently working on his Ph.D. in rocket propulsion. Interesting guy.
We chatted for about two hours and took down my digits. I thanked for a lovely time and my restoration in men for the night.
Before I got home, he messaged that he wanted to have a date the next weekend (it was Wednesday) and he was planning ahead. We made plans to go bowling and had a really nice time…
During the next few weeks he was less and less attentive and had a near death experience – he was a pilot and instructor and when he went up – the plane can spiral out and you have to get it working again – I don’t know but sounded like a kamakaze pilot to me but said you go straight up until the plane stalls and then get it started and fly; he got disoriented and had to go in for testing and was grounded until further notice.
Obviously for these Air Force military people, flying is no joke and anything that grounds them is unsettling and difficult for the best of the best… we would get together nightly and work at Panera on each of our dissertations and chat about life and sometimes ask each other for a read through to see if the words made sense.
After a few weeks of the grounding, he was called into the ENT and got an official diagnosis – Meneare’s disease and basically it causes ringing and vertigo at any point.
At this point knowing the guy for a few months, I felt absolutely terrible for him and the diagnosis meant no more flying. So basically this capable flight instructor was removed from his love of flying… his dad taught him to fly in Texas when he was 12 and at 30 something…. This was like death to him.
About a week later he came to Panera with a strange look and said – I don’t know how to say this – I am moving to Houston – not by my wish but being transferred as I can no longer teach, fly, or do things as I could so I am being reassigned.
He said I know you have your life and family here and honestly planned to retire here but with my family near Harlingen and a chance to get closer to home – everything happens for a reason. Brady promised to keep in touch and I flew to Texas to see his life out there and the spark and the life he has before the incident – and after was dramatically different.
One never knows how things work out or if they will. He was an incredible person and when he moved – a part of me wondered – what if, what what if that… but the fact that I didn’t miss him told a story in itself.
Some people are in your life for a season, some for a year, and few for a lifetime. and most importantly – everything happens for a reason.
Overall, Brady was a cool guy; he was fiercely protective and really struggled with the change of events in his life – anyone would… I hoped for peace and from time to time he sends a message and for me.. knowing he is good in the world is good enough.
Next Episode: I said I love you. He said “thank you”
