Alter Ego #3

Backstory – An alter-ego is defined as one’s second self, a different version of oneself to aspire to . . . kinda’ like Clark Kent’s Superman.

A while back I began a collection of short, anonymous tributes to some of my wan-a-bee alter-egos who have graciously blessed my life by being there to support and encourage me to keep-on-keeping on when life’s journey found me traveling through dark valleys of unpaved roads.

Here’s my next alter-ego . . . I’ll call him Dan . . .

God graciously brought Dan into my life to assist me in navigating through one of its most confusing situations. Suffice it to say, the trifecta of suddenly finding myself a single dad with two young sons . . . the responsibilities of a new position . . . a pack-it-all-up move to a new location, fostered an ambivalence of joyful chaos.

A generation younger, loved and respected by his students and colleagues, Dan is one of the two best educators it has ever been my privilege to serve alongside during my career as a teacher/administrator. He quickly became my most needed trusted friend and confidant.

Exploring the wilds of the Last Frontier on ATVs together, and often with our children hanging on the back; pursuing the dream of building a remote wilderness retreat on a land lottery we’d won, which ultimately proved too challenging to access (the quintessential definition of remote 😊); immersed in the contagious enthusiasm of small, rural school basketball tournaments; confidentially commiserating and consoling each other over school, family and other dilemmas; going long for a pass during competitive student/teacher football scrimmages (I was a tad younger then😊); housing my errant, like-father-like-son young college student for a summer; and countless other shared times and adventures are all forever archived in the Favorites file of my memory bank.

Someone once said in life you’re either coming out of a trial, between trials, or about to enter one. This blessed mountaintop between trials time of my life eventually entered another deep valley for each of us. My self-inflicted trial came first and, much at his expense, my loyal “…sticketh closer than a friend…” stood by me. A few years later a totally unforeseen, undeserved, devastating trial descended upon Dan, and I’ll forever regret the circumstances that prevented me from being able to be there for him.

Today finds Dan and I gratefully between trials in our life journeys, enjoying new marriage partners, friends, places and situations. Although separated by thousands of miles, our ‘doorstep friendship’ remains . . . should life once again find either of us mired in one of life’s trials and we’d appear on the other’s doorstep, we’d be unconditionally welcomed in. Such friends are few and far between, and Dan is one of those precious alter-egos God has richly blessed my life with along its oft erratic path.

Thanks Dan