I was talking with a friend recently and the conversation moved to “all the friends” I have related to the Naval Academy.
I thought for a moment and agreed
They talked about all the time I must have spent with them and that’s when I stopped them.
“Honestly,” I said, “I’ve only actually ‘met’ a small handful.”
I got a quizzical look. They noted that I had talked a fair number of times about Susan Weisberg and how she helped me with my upcoming book and for whom I wrote forward for the upcoming second edition of her Chester Midshipmouse book.
Yes, I confirmed. But I also confirmed that, to the best of my knowledge, I’ve never been in the same room as Susan, let alone actually met her in person.
Yet, when Ann Shyne invited me to join her, Susan, and Steve Wade on her podcast, I felt like I had been invited to Old Home Week.
Even though I’ve never met any of them, I feel like we have a special connection. I’ve been a guest on Ann’s podcast before and she’s graciously contributed to my Herndon Playlists. In addition to the aforementioned connections, Susan has also made appearances on my Playlists. In addition to our connections on social media, Steve lent his soothing voice to my Prayer for a Plebe.
The conversation flowed so effortlessly. Even though it took place on Zoom, I felt like we were all gathered on someone’s back porch sharing a good cup of coffee. If Ann hadn’t finally brought the evening to an end, we might have talked well past bedtime. As it turns out, she had to employ some fancy audio editing to pare it all down to two podcast episodes.
Part One:
Part Two to come …
It’s humbling to be a part of this group. Ann’s dedication and boundless energy, Susan’s mesmerizing ability to bring mice to life as Midshipmen, and the gorgeous portraits Steve paints with his command of the English language give me a deep case of Imposter’s syndrome. It’s an honor to be with them, even virtually.
I look forward to the day when we can actually sit down for that cup of coffee.
Oh, and a note to Steve – I wrote this entire post on my phone! 😆
My Kid The Mid 