The handsome violinist is my friend Tim Hazlett. I have written about him before. I don’t usually include last names in this journal, not wanting to cause people the public embarrassment of being known as a friend of Webb Chiles, but I know Tim personally and believe he is up to the notoriety.
Scientists tell us that there have been between one hundred billion and one hundred and ten billion of our glorious and ignoble and misnamed species. A few years ago Tim performed what I believe is a unique double unduplicated in history. He ran a full marathon one morning and performed in a symphony orchestra that evening. Well, he just did it again, running his 68th marathon last Saturday morning and playing the violin that evening in the Heritage Philharmonic’s performance of Saint-Saens Third Symphony. I have a recording of that symphony and listened on deck at twilight Saturday in spirit with Tim if not in person. Also in spirits.
In addition to running and playing the violin, Tim is a husband, son, father, reader of old newspapers online, a business man, and an occasional sipper of Laphroaig. His goal is to run 100 marathons by age 60. I don’t recall his current age, but with 32 to go I am confident that he will make it and when he does if I am still alive I will be one of those congratulating him at the finish line wherever in the world that finish line is, and I will bring the Laphroaig.