I used to have this poster. It hung prominently for years in my many apartments... I learned about it from an old friend, Bill M. He knew I liked Woody Allen films and he told me about this poster. I searched and searched until I found it at a Posters Mostly store. I had it put in an inexpensive shrink wrap frame. It followed me from college to Louisiana, Alabama, back to Arizona (Scottsdale and Flagstaff), then off to Alaska... Sometime after Alaska I think it succumbed to damage. The shrink wrap had torn off and water damage got to it.

I don't think about Woody Allen pictures when I see it. It reminds me of Bill M., and youth.

I met Bill on a church retreat in Northern Arizona. I was newly into college and I thought this would be a good way to meet people. Bill was older than me, and a working graphic designer. He was just a calm spirit and someone I looked up to as a role model immediately. Come to find out, Bill was the brother of an old grade-school friend of mine from Scottsdale. Danny was a great kid and I remember his whole family being wonderful people. It seemed so strange to me that this person was the one I hit it off with on this random church retreat.

Bill had his own apartment and enlightened me on the way of the woman. He demystified some of the pedestal-placing ideas I had about women. He also treated me like a little brother (being that I was the big brother in sibling-group: my sister and me). He also introduced me to being cool without trying. I learned to love Warren Zevon, old Buffett, Leon Redbone and most importantly, Elvis Costello.

He took me to Disneyland for a weekend. We drove over there in his VW (I think that's what he had) and we went on the rides and pointed out the girls. I was woefully inept in exuding proper coolness, but at least I was Bill's sidekick.

He taught me that the original Mickey Mouse (with the "pie-eyes") is the preferred Mickey Mouse and that you don't have to be the jock or stud to attract the ladies. We had the same girlfriend once. Of course, I think he took it to a higher level than I... but the moral is, never introduce your girlfriend to Bill... they'll like him more... hell, I would...

When I moved away from AZ, I would write him letters, asking for his sage advice. I liked to hold onto the letters until I was at some diner in some tiny town in the old south. I felt Bill would think that was cool... it was like I was taking his letters back in time to read them (he had the coolest handwriting too). I remember one letter talking about the Fourth of July, but Bill wrote it as 4ourth of July. I thought that was too cool.

Time went on and our communication dwindled. My hero worship faded and suddenly it was years that had passed.

A couple of years ago I found him in the phone book and called. It wasn't the same as I hoped. I was older, he was older. He was married with kids... quite a few if I remember correctly. I wanted to tell him about my mother and father's failing health and reach out one more time to my college role model.

We promised to call each other and meet for coffee, but that never happened.

Isn't strange the memories that follow you through the years. Why am I thinking of this now? My wife and I went to see Scoop, Woody's latest movie, and it got me thinking about my old poster, which got me thinking of where it was, and how I got it... and Bill.

Th point is this: Things never stay the same... friends and ourselves move on... take the positives and pass them on. Memories are "forever".