Family

What I like about Judith is basically what I like about myself – no surprise, since she is largely responsible for who I am. 

First of all, Judith is incredibly smart. She has used her intelligence to get as far as she has. I wish I had done nearly as much! 

She introduced me to so many things – Shakespeare, classical music, and even (in a totally different category) horseback riding. I have such memories! When we first went riding together, I rode one of a pair of ponies named Nip and Tuck, although I don’t remember which one I rode. One day, whichever one I was on was bound and determined not to leave the stables. We got a little ways up the path, and he turned around to go back, paying no attention whatever to my efforts to keep him going in the right direction. Judith didn’t help at all, simply waited until I got him back up to her, and then we went on. 

The Shakespeare she introduced me to was “Much Ado About Nothing,” a play I love to this day. We must have gone to a performance or two. I remember she had a school assignment at one point to design a stage for it. At one point Beatrice is going to eavesdrop on a conversation: “Look where Beatrice like a lapwing runs / Close by the ground to hear our conference.” Judith’s stage had stairs all along the front so that Beatrice could duck down and run across without being seen by those actually up on the stage. There was a drawing, too, that showed this. Why do I remember it so clearly? No idea. 

Judith also had a wonderful sense of humor for a child. Whenever she drove me into San Francisco, we would cross Gough Street. Inevitably, she would call it (Cough) Street, and I laughed every time. 

Anyway, I remember going to Greek restaurants with her and her friend Carl. Was there sometimes circle dancing? I think so. I remember a hysterical drive up to Camp Trinity with her daughter Debbie, who might have been 7 or 8 at the time, along with my favorite of her friends, David, known to Debbie as “Buddy-Buddy.” Debbie had been thoroughly dosed with anti-nausea stuff that made her pretty dopey. Judith had a little station wagon at the time; she and David were in the front, I was in the back seat, and Debbie was in the wayback. It was a long drive, so we’d brought snacks, including some grapes. We were well along on our way when Debbie suddenly heaved herself up and sounding as though she was totally drunk, asked, “Buddy-Buddy, want a grape?” And then, as I recall, simply fell down asleep again. Judith and I laugh about that to this day. 

So maybe what I like most about Judith are the memories I have. Now you have them, too.