He was a retired crop duster pilot, and so we spoke at some length about aircraft engines, which I worked on back in to 70s including the R1340 and the R985.

He told me he was going to Tallahassee to meet a woman he knew about 20 years ago. Apparently she told him she could never marry him because he wasn't up to her level of education. She held at the time a master's degree.

Now 20 years and a doctorate later, the red light is now green, and at 66 years od the guy was going to rekindle his romance.

Yes, there were a lot of details left out. You don't pry at 22000 feet to filling the gaps in a 35 minute flight.

So, later on I got to thinking about whom I knew at the presumptive age he had known this lady; would I behave the same way? Suffering the anguish of a woman telling me I am not good enough, then at the tender age of around 50, all of a sudden now I am good enough, education levels notwithstanding.

I spoke with a few friends later on about the story I was told and I came to the conclusion: she's was just interested in having someone with her in his lingering years; she didn't want to die alone; that or she needed someone there to wipe her butt for her when she no longer could.

I am currently married, so there s no question about searching or even pining about anything along these lines. I am not so certain I wouldn't have told her to go to hell.


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