For some unknown reason, I decided to reread a post from 2010 titled “Nova Scotia, My Side of the Story.” It is an account of a bicycle trip I took with my dear friend Lou Dini in 1995. Our passion for riding bicycles was great. Lou and I worked together at one of the greatest family-owned companies in the world; PANDUIT CORP. Along the way, Lou opted to move from Oak Forest to Dahlonega, Goeorgia where the winter weather was milder and his arthritic life easier. Fortunately, PANDUIT had a division in Cummins, GA. to which he transferred. We remained in contact via e-mail, phone calls etc. We planned a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada together via emails.
Lou passed away a couple of years ago while living in Florida. The rheumatoid arthritis he battled for so many years became secondary to Parkinson’s disease. As I read the account of our trip to Nova Scotia, it reminded me of his tenacity and endurance. His positive attitude eventually waned, and his body began to fail. I am so glad that he wrote a report of the trip and allowed me to publish it on my blog. My story came later and although we both pedaled the same miles our stories are different, but very much the same. I write this today with melancholy in my heart. Recalling all the trips Lou and I took together, like Nova Scotia, Yellowstone Park, and Michigan all make fabulous memories that rise to the top of the memory bank.
Filed under: Aging, Biography | Tagged: Melancholy, Memories |
Very nice memories that you are sharing Joe! Lou was a wonderful man and co-worker at Panduit. It was so good to have him and you as friends!
The very first memory I have of Lou happened a short time after I started. Ron Fulton sent me out to the shop floor to examine the spiral cutter machine. As I was bent over looking at the mechanism, I was approached by a man who asked what I was doing. Lou had been alerted that a stranger was spying on the equipment. Lou was sent to check me out and determine my intentions.