Past My Bedtime

The email invited me to meet college friends at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday night. I check my calendar, and find the date conspicuously empty amidst a week full of places I need to be and things I need to do. You might think I’d be excited at this stroke of scheduling good luck. After all, these are people I was close to that I haven’t seen in years. Still, it’s 8 p.m. on a work night and what I really want to answer is "Sorry that’s past my bedtime."

In fairness to myself, and so I don’t sound like a total dud, my days start early, including a 5 or 6 mile run at 6 a.m. And I’m at my desk at least an hour before I need to be, mainly because I have a "salary" job, which translates to "there’s no way we could afford to pay you by the hour". So the earlier I start, the better the odds of me getting out of work in time to head off to an appointment, a charity meeting or a running clinic. Its not that I’m doing any less in a day, I’m just starting earlier.

But it wasn’t always that way. I kept a different clock in college. I’d schedule my first class to start as late as possible to balance off my late nights spent disco dancing (a topic for another article). Back then, it was unheard of to go out with friends before 10 p.m., as most clubs didn’t get busy until 11. Grabbing a late night breakfast at a 24-hour Pewter Pot was the thing to do, and in hindsight I pity the poor wait staff that had to deal with the likes of us ordering bacon and eggs at 2 a.m. in our disco duds. To top the night off, I’d write my term paper when I got home, possessed by post-disco adrenaline, pounding feverishly on the typewriter at 3 a.m. like a scene out of The Shining.

It’s not that I have any less stamina now, I just use it up earlier in the day. Stamina is about maintaining momentum, as Newton’s Law states, "A body in motion will remain in motion". Give me a long run, followed by a long day at work followed by a long meeting at night, and I’m up to the task- as long as I don’t take a break in the middle. Because as Newton’s Law also states, "A body at rest will stay at rest". Inertia is my enemy, which is why I’m mowing the lawn at 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon in the same clothes I ran in at 7 a.m. for fear of not being able to get up again once I sit down. Apparently, I’m missing lots of fun stuff that takes place after 8 p.m., or at least that’s what I’m told. There are music shows and comedy shows, plays and movies, dances and parties, fairs and fireworks. But my best dates are with my DVR, which free me from prime time prison and allow me to watch late night shows on my early schedule- a plan that doesn’t work out so well for major sporting events. From the NBA Finals to the World Series to the Super Bowl, my excitement about our team vying for a championship is tempered by the frustration of knowing I will fall asleep less than 30 minutes into the game, after closing my eyes ‘for a few seconds’ during a commercial. I will inevitable wake up hours later with a full body shudder as my eyes dart open to see the late night news signing off.

But back to my invite which awaits a reply. I decide to fight the old fart urge and attend, only to find others have already responded by asking if we could meet earlier, maybe some morning for coffee, or brunch perhaps. "What a bunch of old fogies!" is my relieved response, my boring lifestyle secret safe for another day.

Remembering Pep

Although Pep Cornacchio spent nearly all of his 89 years in Salem, I didn’t know his first name until I read it in his obituary. To me, he was just "Pep"- a fitting knick name for someone with such unparalleled enthusiasm and energy for the hometown he loved. So much so, I half expected "the City of Salem" to be listed as one of the family members he sadly leaves behind.

I came to know Pep the same way so many of us did, through his dedication and commitment to community service groups and philanthropic causes throughout the City of Salem. A regular fixture at Boys & Girls Club and Stephen O’Grady Foundation events, he would exclaim "God Bless You" each time he saw me, his large hands warmly enveloping mine with a strength reminiscent of his years as a football star. "You do good work" he’d say with a knowing smile. Because community service was something Pep knew well. His long list of altruistic accomplishments could make the most dedicated volunteer appear lazy- a list of organizations and causes so long, I could hardly read them all without taking a nap in the middle.

This jam packed daily schedule that would exhaust the best of us is exactly what kept Pep motivated. He was energized by the many events he felt blessed to be able to participate in, and inspired by the companionship of his fellow citizens. His family marveled at his intensive daily schedule, which he methodically planned hour by hour, from morning through evening, including everything from funerals to weddings, from meetings to fundraisers. This posed quite a challenge to Pep’s family when he could no longer drive himself to the multitude of events he felt compelled to attend, but where there is a will, there is a way. And while Pep had plenty of will, so did his family who coordinated their efforts to make sure he didn’t miss a beat. And with his multitude of friends, transporting Pep to where he needed to be became a team sport via a personal transit system with more daily stops than the MBTA.

If you wanted to know more about Pep, you had to look no further than his collection of lapel pins, which doubled as his resume, representing various pieces of his life from his military service to his community service. They told of the places he had been, and people he had met along the way. And if you took the time to ask, he would happily tell you the story behind each one of them. Even one of my Boston Marathon pins made the cut.

Simply put, Pep was a great citizen, unusual in a time when people rarely plant their roots in the same place for more than a few years, nevermind a lifetime. And amidst the speculation that we are becoming an increasingly self-centered generation, Pep was the antithesis of this trend. He had a tremendous sense of gratitude towards his community for providing him with so much opportunity and fulfillment in his life. So much so that he made it his life calling to return the favor.

Behind the public persona, Pep was blessed with a loving extended family that spanned several generations, wonderful friends of all ages from every walk of life, and a strong faith that was the foundation he built his wonderful life upon.

And a wonderful life it was. God Bless You, Pep. You will be greatly missed.