And Aubrey Is Their Names

Like me, Aubrey has two middle names. Anne, from her mother, and Everly from, of course, the Everly Brothers. Her last name comes from me, at least until she marries. She knows all of that. What she doesn’t know is how her first name was chosen.

 

Partly, it is from the Bread song, as she thinks, but mostly it comes from this guy. His name is Aubrey, and I really liked his name.

 

 

When I was playing basketball, Aubrey was one of the guys who used to come. He was an excellent and generous basketball player, not afraid to take the shot, but unlike most of the guys, he wasn’t afraid to pass or to set a pick or to play defense. That always made him fun to play with, but mostly I liked him because he was a genuinely nice guy. A nice enough guy that I named a child after him.

Nearly 15 years later, I bumped in to Aubrey the other night at the store. I knew I recognized him, but couldn’t place him. Work somewhere? One of the colleges? Oh, I know. Basketball. I introduced myself, and he remembered right away. He was taken aback when I told him about his namesake, visibly moved. “Well, that is a real honor,” he said.

 

 

 

If he knew my Aubrey, he would know exactly how true that is.

This Little Piggy Went To Market

The long-awaited Walmart Neighborhood Market has opened in our neighborhood, which saves us an 8-mile drive through thick traffic, and helps us avoid the much-too-expensive grocery store over by the college. Saving time and money is good.

I like Walmart. I know they’ve lost the vision and community Sam Walton built into the company years ago, and that low price at any cost has cost their reputation. But I believe Walmart is good, and that the corporation can get back to its original motivations.

My first trip to Walmart in my hometown, some 40 years ago (man, can that be true?) is still vivid in my mind. It was so big and had so much variety, I loved going there. I even liked Walmart for the two crazy years I worked there.

 

Yes, the stores can be crowded, the lines long, the employees surly. But I like shopping there because I don’t like paying $8 for something I can buy for $5 at Walmart.

People complain about the poor mom and pop shops closing, but that doesn’t bother me. If mom and pop can’t sell what I need for the price I want, maybe mom and pop can go get jobs at the typewriter ribbon factory. Or open a $5 cupcake shoppe….