IT'S A SMALL WORLD

It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small, small world!

A couple of weeks ago at work, we had just finished treating our morning patients and it was time to break for lunch. Cindy, Katie and I all had lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. and we walked toward the cafeteria together.

It was a warm, sunny day, so we decided to see if one of the few outdoor tables was available. They were all taken. At one of those tables, however, sat the lab technician from the chemotherapy department. We had met Doug only a couple of months earlier and asked him if we could join him for lunch.

So, the four of us began talking about different places we’ve lived and worked and Doug mentioned an area in central California known as “the delta”. It is called “the delta” because that region contains over 1000 miles of inland waterways. Having lived in Stockton and Sacramento, I was familiar with that area.

Then Doug mentioned a little town that almost nobody has ever heard of, a town called Walnut Grove. I have been to Walnut Grove many times.

So I asked Doug, “Have you ever seen a restaurant in Walnut Grove called Wimpy’s?”

Doug answered, “Yes.”

Then I said, “My dad lives in a houseboat at the marina located next to Wimpy’s restaurant.”

Doug looked at me contemplatively, he paused, and then he asked, “Is your dad’s name ‘Wendell’?”

I was stunned! Cindy and Katie sat speechless.

For several years, Doug and his wife lived in an RV which was parked near the place where my dad’s houseboat has been docked for about 25 years or so. Now Doug lives in Medford and works about ten steps from where I work.

When I asked Doug how he would describe my dad, he replied “Your dad is delightful.”

This photo was taken today in Doug’s lab, located adjacent to the radiation therapy department where I work.