Sherry and I flew to Chicago to visit long-time friends Alan and Dina. I met Alan in 1978 during our freshman Calculus class at NYU. I had the pleasure of meeting Dina just a few years later, when the two of them arrived at my New Year’s Eve party. Dina had just accepted Alan’s proposal on the A train (The Duke Ellington song “Take the A Train” was an inspiration).
Dina and Alan live in the West Ridge neighborhood north west of Chicago which became our home base for the long weekend.
Larry & Alan (centered) at Alan & DIna’s wedding
An Orthodox and a Conservative man walk into a Bahai temple…
It sounds funny, but our first stop was the only Bahai temple in North America. It is located just north of them in Wilmette, a magnificent steel structure completed in 1953, which took more than 30 years to construct. I did not know much about this peaceful religion but was impressed with their core principles of oneness, freedom and equality, and of course I loved the beautiful building.
Our next stop was a fascinating, but chilly, architectural tour of the downtown area onboard the First Lady cruise ship. Our guide, from the Chicago Architecture Center was fabulously funny and knowledgeable. We were struck by the immense size and variety – each building picking up a unique and distinctive style, sometimes complementing the others around it. The crystal clear day made the buildings gleam and we wondered how a city this majestic l could have such a perilous financial condition (but that is way off the topic).
On another day we took a nice morning stroll on the coast of lake Michigan towards the campus of Northwestern. On previous visits we did not spend nearly as much time near the lake, and we began to learn about its impact.
Dina and Alan are both experienced Karate practitioners and their precision came out when they demonstrated for us some of their new Tai Chi routines.
A U-Boat adventure
On our second day, we made a short visit to the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry. The first and only exhibit we visited shared the fantastic story of how in 1944 Captain Daniel Gallery and his team captured a German submarine “U-Boat” and its Enigma machines during world War II.
I had learned a little about this amazingly sinister fleet which sunk more than 2,700 Allied merchant ships during the war, from my father, who had worked on the US Nuclear submarine the Nautilus. After growing a beard in honor of his father’s passing, my dad even once dressed himself up as a U-boat captain for Purim.
However, I was not ready for the sheer scope and size of this vessel. At more than 250 feet, it was massive. I was prepared for something less than half the size. The exhibit showed one of only four U-Boats left in the world and this one still had the bullet holes in the tower from when it was captured. As we took a tour inside, I was struck by three things, 1) This was the first-ever hybrid vessel, using diesel engines for maneuvering on the surface (1,800 mile range) and for charging batteries that were used when under water (36 hour limit, ~ 60 miles); 2) living on this boat must have been extremely difficult: conscripted sailors, no showers, only 2 toilets for 50 men; and 3) utilizing the technology they had at the time, it is clear the boat could not have been any smaller.
Larry’s Dad dresses as U-Boat captain (1970s)
Return to the Museum
We enjoyed the Griffin museum so much, that we came back the next day, catching exhibits on Colleen Moore’s fairy castle, a stunning dollhouse completed in 1935, a space exhibit complete with a lunar LEM training lander as well as Mercury, Gemeni and Dragon Capsules, a train and Zephyr exhibit (to prepare us for our our train ride home) and an exhibit dedicated to weather phenomenon. Many of the displays were immersive and extremely well done. Even with our two visits, we still did not see the whole thing. We will be back!
Sharing Shabbat: Friendships old and New
Alan and Dina hosted a Friday night dinner for some of their friends, and we got to meet Fran, David, Rochelle and Hillary. We enjoyed getting to know each of these talented and thoughtful people, many of whom have some connection to the NY area. They were fascinated by my quest for 65 adventures and we had a great time reliving some of this year’s experiences together.
Shabbat was a great time to wind down and although we were busy with visitors, we also found lots of time just to talk.
A great visit – true friends.
As we were visiting, it occurred to me that sometimes friendships form for convenience, and other times because there are activities in common. Alan and I were together several times a week during our school years, and there is no doubt that is how we started. On the other hand, what sustained this friendship for more than forty years and expanded it to our spouses, has been mutual interests, common core values and a deep desire to ask those penetrating questions that help us know ourselves and each other better.
When I woke up on Friday morning, still a little groggy, Dina hit me with a zinger: “So, what are your top goals for the next year of your retirement?”
Now that, dear reader – is a really good question!
Please let me finish this year first!