Pen Pal

My first day on the job was spent running around with CNN.

A few weeks later my boss received a letter from a man in Ohio who had seen him on TV. In almost un-legible handwriting he wrote of his interest in our company, his life in the Navy and his past vacations to New England. Enclosed was a photo of him standing by a flower bed. The note on the back read "I am 79 years now. I was 58 in the photo."

His name is Norm.

My boss had no plans of writing back to him, but the letter struck a soft spot in me. Maybe this man lived alone with no family. Maybe his hobby is watching the news and writing to people he sees. Maybe he's waiting for someone to write back.

So I did.

And what developed was sort of a pen pal. Every so often I receive a letter from Norm. Most take awhile to get through since his handwriting is so bad, but they are always amusing. He's told me about his hobbies (woodcarving and NASCAR), his family("Got a nephew around those parts") and his friend's pool ("It's very cool and relaxing.") He writes without rhyme or reason, underlining certain passages or writing some in red ink. ("I've always liked to watch the Friday night fights from Foxwoods", "I bought a Japanese truck...a Tundra.")

He's sent me postcards of Ohio, stickers and another photo (again of him at 58, not 79.) I keep the conversation light, talk mostly about the weather or ask him questions about himself. Maybe it's because I'm cautious (or paranoid?) or maybe it's because I'm a New Yorker, but I never divulge anything very personal about myself.

Or maybe it's because he kept asking for a photo and was trying to guess what movie star I looked like.

The creepy old man stuff aside, I like hearing from Norm and I like to think that my letters bring him some joy.

I haven't heard from Norm in awhile and whenever a long stretch of time passes I wonder if he's still alive. I know that sounds morbid, but he is getting up there. And if he does pass, will I ever know?

I like to think that he's just very busy making his wood carvings and driving his Japanese Tundra.