IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

7-19-2013

In the early 70’s, I met a guy named Dennis Westerlind.   We were in the same photography courses at the Worcester Art Museum School and later found ourselves in the same college.   We were pals, but I was newly married and we spun in different orbits.

Thirty years later, I began working on my first Boston book, A Bird’s Eye View.   My father had just died.   I came across a bunch of pictures in a scrapbook.   There were the usual mysterious and unidentifiable family members.   And there were dozens of pictures of Navy guys   –   guys my dad served with on the Boston.   In one of the pictures of a group of guys was a guy named Westerlind.   I looked closely, and was thinking ‘this guy looks like Dennis.   Could it be?’   Nah.   Hadn’t seen Dennis in decades.   Didn’t know if he was still around the Worcester area.   Couldn’t be   . . . what are the odds that our fathers had palled around thirty years before we bumped into each other?   No way.

A couple of weeks ago, a fellow named Gene Westerlind commented on the website., noting that his father and his uncle served on the ship. In the communications that followed, I learned that Gene is Dennis’ brother.   Dennis emailed me and sent in a bunch of pictures, including this piece from the Worcester Telegram and Gazette:

steve