Lis & The Colonel
June 18, 2009it was a fun and enjoyable evening yesterday. 
it’s easy to forget how austere and unconventional my apartment is until i invite guests over, only to realize that i really didn’t have any place for them to sit or be comfortable. i grabbed the chairs from the garage below me, and i sat on the floor as i always do. the table i use to serve tea (which is also the ONLY table i have) is designed for sitting on the floor. but what can you do, you know?
so Lis, as i said earlier, is 81 years old. she grew up in West Sacramento in the 30′s & 40′s and was a teacher for the better part of her life. she’s really sharp, funny, and kindhearted. and she takes care of her people, which is something i deeply admire about her.
the Colonel is the grandfather of my dear friend and student, Tyson. he’s Lt. Colonel Ernest Skorheim, and he’s actually 91 years old. ridiculously active and agile for his age, loves to talk smack and laugh about everything, and has a BIG crush on Lis. LOL! she’s very gracious about it. 
we took the tea party into my room so they could get a little closer. kidding. no, but i thought my futon might be a little more comfortable. we talked about everything under the sun, from the Arora Borealis to cinnamon applesauce to sleeping underneath bails of hay while hiding from the Germans. that’s what the Colonel did.
he was shot down in a B-17 during WWII and spent about 4 months hiding out behind enemy lines on the Island of Corfu, Greece. he was taken care of by the Greek resistance, which was just ordinary village folk who didn’t appreciate occupation. the book he’s thumbing through actually tells his story. well, it tells part of it, anyway.
The Colonel never gets tired of talking about those days, although i’m still not clear on whether he was behind the line for 3 1/2 or 4 1/2 months. but whatever the case, it was undoubtedly one of most intense and profound events in his life. quite possibly the reason he values kindness and charity so much.
so yeah, these are my homies now. this is the crew i hang with. they teach me a great deal about the kind of person i want to be.
and i am grateful to know them.
