By the Company he Keeps — Roaming with Roth

Aesop’s quote, “A man is known by the company he keeps” suggests that we (men and women) tend to befriend people who are like us. Lest we presume this adage to be another fable, no less than the father of modern political philosophy, Nicollo Machiavelli said, “….For as we can have no better clue to a man's character than the company he keeps, he who frequents worthy company deservedly obtains a good name, since there can hardly fail to be some similarity between himself and his associates”. And, if biblical text is your highest authority, be it known that, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. ...Though you may be foolish, wise friends will show and teach you success. Proverbs 13:20

*A view from our patio at our house in Weiller-Simmerberg, Germany.*

All of this is to say that our son, Alexander, is a true person of character. First of all, he honors us by thinking highly enough of Adele and I to freely introduce us to his friends. That alone would be notable and speaks volumes about the growth and strength of our relationship. Secondly, Alex feels confident in his choice of friends. Thirdly, he does not hesitate to call up these friends, with whom he has maintained a friendship over years, and say, “Oh, by the way, would you care to spend part of a day with my parents? They’ll be in your neck of the woods”. I would never have been that confident as a young man. And, lastly, he simply knows intuitively that we all will have a mutually enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Alex met Mark and Stefan Langer in New York City. A random, fortuitous convergence, they crossed paths in a West Side restaurant. “It was one of the funniest days and best experiences we ever had. We didn’t stop laughing”, the identical twins agree. Mark and Stefan are from Germany and so Alex introduced us to them in 2016 as we were planning our return to Germany. That year, Stefan (who is partnering with Lissi) could not join us but Mark and Sonja (the two are now sharing life) met us in Heidelberg where we ate, cavorted and laughed our way through the day.

It was such a commonly pleasant and rewarding day that Adele and I received a ‘WhatsApp’ later in our stay from Stefan asking whether our schedule would permit us to meet at some date prior to our departure. Evidently, Mark and Sonja’s reporting was favorable enough to persuade Stefan to make a detour in his busy schedule. Unfortunately, we were limited in time and geographically too distant, preventing any sort of gathering, so we had to pass with a promise that we will return.

We kept our promise, and in 2017 Mark, with Stefan and Lissi, met us in Tubingen. Sonja was unfortunately not able to make our arranged days. Tubingen is a college town with a river running through its central section with a tree-lined park, gravel paths, kayak rentals, open-air cafes and beer halls, shops and inexpensive food places to sample every kind of ‘wurst’ in creation. It was not difficult for us to repeat our performance and create a bonding based upon respect and light-hearted fun.

All four of these young people, as well as Alexander, are wonderful, and beautiful specimens of a hopeful future. They are all sober, clear-headed, intelligent and concerned individuals who are responsibly partaking in day to day existence knowing what is important in life. They laugh and play games. And, on this visit, while staying at a magnificently constructed, hand-built house in the farm district in Weiler-Simmerberg, Germany, the three taught us how to play “Cards Against Humanity”, a silly, slightly raunchy game of “fill-in-the-blanks” with phrases reminiscent of a 12-year old’s version of dirty jokes that can really be hysterical.

Of course, Alex knows that I love him…that he is loved and is always is my heart. I also want him to know how much I respect and admire him. He has not been bequeathed a simple path. His endowment is a gift of my DNA. “A large ball of yarn to unravel”, as a friend says. Still, Alex is gifted in so many ways, not the least of which is his sincere interest in people, his innate intelligence, his sincerity and his accessibility.

An example of the vertical climb for 900 meters.

Adele and Stefan marveling at our route up the mountain.

The gang rewarding ourselves after our 5 3/4 hour climb