April 8, 2009. Mexico. Old Friend.

As you know, I have just read biographies of Harry Truman and Flannery O'Connor. While reading the Truman book, I was immersed in the politics of Missouri, specifically the Democratic Party of Missouri. Before reading that book, I knew very little of the topic, but the book raised a lot of questions in my mind. Now, I said to myself, "I need to talk to my old friend Ed Quick". Ed came to Washington right out of graduate school (of course with an M.A. in Political Science) to work with the Junior Senator from Missouri, Sen. Eagleton, and Ed was with the Senator the whole time of the Senator's career, then Ed worked as a Postal Director until Ed's retirement.

Ed knows a lot about the past and present of the Democratic Party in Missouri and he remains interested in politics in general. Just three years ago they moved from Washington, well really Bethesda, to Lawrence, Kansas just a little outside Kansas City, Kansas which is right across the river from Kansas, Missouri, not far from Independence, Missouri, President Truman's hometown. So I do need to talk to Ed.

Next I read the Flannery O'Connor book. For at least thirty years, I belonged to a very good Book Club with Colleen Quick, Ed's wife. They lived two blocks away from us when we moved to Bethesda in 1970. We met at a park close to our homes, where our very active sons needed activity. Teddy was about the same as Andrew, so the three boys played together while the Mothers talked books. The Quick family had also just arrived in Bethesda. Colleen invited me to book club, and we have been friends ever since, although since our children grew up and then we all worked very hard, getting together was impossible, especially since I stopped attending Book Club. Years ago, we read Southern Writers then several years later we read Southern Women Writers, so Coleen and I have been through several discussions concerning Flannery O'Connor. Once again, just a few days apart, I said to my self "I neen to speak to Coleen Quick".

Ken tracked down the phone number, and Coleen and I had a much needed and long overdue conversation. I told her of my need to talk to Ed. She also agreed with me that he knows much past and present about Missouri politics, and that he actually enjoys talking about it. Coleen has no interest and never has other than the fact that it has paid their bills all those years. The next step was for me to invite them to Nova Scotia this summer where the conversations can flow. It was lovely to talk with Coleen on the phone, now I hope they make the journey north.