WHEN: February 19, 2011
WHERE: Charleston, SC
What happens when you and your spouse are both sick for weeks, all of your cars are in auto shops, 'American Idol' is on 3 nights a week, and the first waves of spring have hit after a cold winter?
You don't blog, that's for sure!
I know my blog has become a kind of "after thought" in 2011, but I have not forgotten it. There have been many distractions so far this year and I have also tried harder this year to not let my blog dictate so much of my time and energy. With that said, there are some events I have missed highlighting in my absence and one of which I wanted to make sure I shared. It happened two weeks ago, and it feels longer ago than that.
Charleston hosted the Southeastern Wildlife Expo downtown again this year, from February 18-20. Not until that weekend did I find out that this was one of the bigger events Charleston hosts in any given year. The Expo is branded as the "unofficial start to the tourism season". While I would probably not have planned to attend the Expo (especially this year, with Stace being sick), I did head downtown for the Expo to meet up with some fellow students I went to grad school with in North Carolina and had not seen in 2 years. Suzanne was in town from DC for her cousin's wedding and Naomy had come up from Savannah to see both of us. I was only able to meet up with Naomy because I showed up after Suzanne had left for the wedding.
Naomy and I had the same study focus in grad school and began the same year. We had the same advisor, the same classes, and spent a majority of our time together in grad school. She is originally from Puerto Rico and has lived in Savannah since she moved from North Carolina after grad school. It was fun to have a rare visitor to our city and it was a great excuse to get outside on that beautiful Saturday and see what the Expo was all about. We were there less for the Expo and spent most of the time just walking around downtown, catching up, and talking about where each other lived now.
One of the first sights of the Expo we stumbled upon was a few guys "competing" in break dancing in the park, then we wandered over to see some of the wildlife exhibits. I wore my 2009 Outback Bowl t-shirt ("Iowa vs. South Carolina") that day and noticed more than a couple glances from passer-byers. As we fought the stampeding crowds walking along the main street downtown, King St., we stopped at a wonderful self-serve frozen yogurt shoppe that I had not noticed before. I did not indulge myself with any of the well-worth-the-high-sugar options there but I know Stace and I will be paying a visit there soon!
Just a block down from the yogurt shoppe was a storefront with an eye-catching yellow, vintage sports sweater with a large "I" on the front. My immediate thought was our Iowa Hawkeyes but I found no other markings on it that suggested what team it was. Naomy and I headed in because I had to find out if there was any Hawkeyes gear inside. The store was full of interesting vintage-looking clothing but I was not spotting any Iowa Hawkeyes apparel. Every sport was represented, college and professional, including the Big Ten, but I still hadn't found any Hawkeyes gear. I was determined and continued heading further back in to the store. Finally, about halfway into the store, I noticed a Hawkeyes t-shirt and reached out to pick it up.
When my hand touched the shirt, I heard an unfamiliar but excited voice exclaim, "Hawkeyes! That's what I like to see!" I looked up to see a gentleman standing on the other side of the clothing stand, sporting a Hawkeyes ball cap. Hawkeye references in South Carolina are few and far between, so fans are especially spirited when they bump in to one another. I smiled and offered my shared affinity for the Hawkeyes in a word or two then we both looked away and he began to turn away from me. Before he could step away I asked him if he was from Iowa, to which he replied that he was originally from Iowa and then asked if I was. I said yes, so he asked me what part of Iowa. I told him I was from Cedar Falls. A faint smile crossed his face and he replied, "Really? I'm from Iowa Falls." I told him that was where my dad grew up and asked him if he knew "Jim Brass" or "the Brasses". Perhaps it was a long shot, but Iowa Falls is not what you'd call a big city, especially back in the 1950's. He paused and stared at me, his faint smile now showing surprise, as if I knew something I shouldn't.
"Yes.", he said slowly and somewhat shocked, "I know that name!". He continued, "I went to school with Dave Brass, and Mary was his younger sister." (my uncle and aunt). "They called him 'Breezy'", he said, and I quickly responded, "That was my grandfather's nickname." At this point he was quickly walking around the table to come closer to me. "And what was your grandfather's name, again?", he asked, as he reached out his hand to shake mine. "Lyman", I said. "That's it!", he added quickly. "My middle name is Lyman. I was named after him.", I added, as our conversation was quickly snow-balling in to some kind of dream-like experience.
As we continued to fill in the blanks of what he remembered about my family, I came to find out he owned the store we were in. His name is Wayne Welden and he moved from Myrtle Beach last summer, around the same time we moved to Charleston, to start his retail clothing business we were standing in, "The Vault". He ran to get me his business card and then told me the story of the pennant he had in the storefront window, from the 1981 Rose Bowl he attended that the Hawks were in that year.
We shared a few more details until I realized I had forgot all about Naomy being with me. I ran to find her and we headed out of the store, with the promise he asked of me to make sure I contacted him sometime and come back to see him soon. I told him I would be bringing Stace back with me soon and would be in touch with him. We walked outside and I snapped a couple pictures of the storefront then told Naomy I had to go back in and get a picture with Wayne before we left, to at least see if my dad had any memory of him. After Naomy and I walked a mile further down King St., she decided she wanted a hat she had spotted in Wayne's store so we headed back through the crowds up King St. and surprised Wayne with another visit. I strutted in like I had always knew him and said hi as we walked past him helping a customer at the register. We go way back! :)
I Skyped with my parents that night and asked my dad if he remembered "Wayne Welden". My dad said the name wasn't familiar but that he knew "Steve Welden" (perhaps a brother or cousin?). Regardless, one could make a strong case that it is a small world after all! I will be sure to take my dad to The Vault whenever they come to visit, and I will take Stace even sooner, to stock up on our vintage Iowa gear!
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