Awakening Your Inner Hero

If you really want to have some fun, keep looking for love stories in your life. If you can’t find them right away, create them. It’s an invaluable life skill.

First off, let me begin by clearly stating that I don’t believe anything is truly random.

Love story # 1.

The only reason my dear wife, Wendy, and I moved to Bend after 50 years living in Flagstaff, Arizona is simple: love. It’s a common story. Our daughter, Jessie, living in Bend with her husband, Jesse, called us and said, “The house right behind us just went on the market. If you don’t buy it right away it will be sold in a few days.” Two of our dear grandchildren live there, too!

I can’t tell you how many people in the past years I had told, “We will never leave Flagstaff, this is our home. We love it here. Our children were born here. My counseling career began here 48 years ago and continues to this day. This is our community, our friends…our home!” And I meant it, as far as I could tell at the time.

Two days after the phone call, we bought the house in Bend with only one video viewing.

Huh?

Thoughtless?

Impulsive?

All that we know now, after moving in on December 20, 2020, is that we love it here! We pinch ourselves nearly every day, roll our eyes in disbelief and say, “These have been the best years of our lives.” We’re both in our 70s and our lives, thankfully, have been darn good!

Huh?

True love can make a person say, “Huh?” a lot.

Love story # 2…and a few more.

As I type this message, I’m realizing the obvious: there is way too much love to write about.

But here I go.

We just flew back to Flagstaff for two weeks. We landed and get picked up at the airport by our buddy, Jim, who loaned us his spotless Toyota 4Runner. Then, he gifted us two tickets to a talk by Kevin Fedarko, the author of “A Walk in the Park”, the book I wrote about just last month!

Random?

Huh?

That is another love story.

The next night the Desert Falcons had a reunion — a group of old guys who have hiked, climbed and adventured together in the Arizona deserts for over 40 years. We got lost together, physically and emotionally bruised together, reached tops of isolated buttes and cliffs together, got stuck by cactus everywhere on our bodies, sung songs by campfires, watched sunsets and bright starry nights. We joined for another love gathering in Sedona.

How many more will we share?

The following night my book club gathered.

Some joined in person, some on Zoom.

Twenty-plus years of reading, learning, laughing, crying and hardly any arguing!

In October, it’s my turn to make our book selection. I will assign two short ones. One is about our ever-guiding Ten Commandments. The other is about Socrates, the man who never stopped asking questions. He had endless curiosity. My 91-year-old seventh-grade English teacher, Mr. Ashe, recommended it to me. One more evening of tears, laughter, learning, sharing…and mostly, more love.

When I arrived in Flagstaff 54 years ago, I stood in line at a new Denny’s restaurant, looking for a job. In front of me was a stranger, Merritt. A few weeks later, he was teaching me how to flip fried eggs and untold other kitchen skills. For the next two years, I cooked meals for busloads of tourists heading to the Grand Canyon and everyone else who needed a meal.

Wendy and I had dinner with Merritt, his dear wife, Cathy, and dear cousin, Mel, on our fourth night in town. We are family to this day. True love lasts forever.

We have a week left in Flagstaff before we fly back home to Bend. God willing, there will be more love stories to share. That’s my bet.

I love you!

– Burt Gershater is a local counselor, leadership trainer, speaker and writer. He can be reached at info@burtgershater.com

This article appears in Source Weekly September 5, 2024.