On the Day Dan Goodman Died
It was January 13, 2009 and I was on my way to the college when my cell phone rang.
“Where are you?” my GWU friend asked.
“On the way. What’s up?”
“Uhhh, nothin’, just wanted to see if you wanted to meet us for coffee.”
“You’re out of class?” It was only 8:30 and they had Dr. Cal Robertson. Doc Cal never ends class early. Never.
“Well, yeah.”
“I thought you had Robertson.”
“We do. . . we just . . . well . . . we’re at the coffee shop.”
There was something she wasn’t telling me.
“Is something wrong with Robertson? Is he sick?”
“Robertson’s fine.”
“Robertson is NOT fine if he let you out of class early.”
“No, really. Robertson is fine.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. I’ll be there in a little bit.” I’m slow on the uptake at 8:30 in the morning. I didn’t hear the shock in her voice, the utter disbelief.
When I got to GWU, my friends met me, not at the coffee shop, but in the yard outside the divinity school. (It’s a long drive from Asheville to GWU.)
“Aileen. Dr. Goodman died this morning,” Donna told me.
“What?”
“It’s true Aileen,” Gary said, “He collapsed in the shower. We don’t know any more details right now.”
“Dr. Goodman?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?” (We ask stupid questions like that when we are in shock.)
“Yes. It’s true,” Karen nodded, confirming it.
“Gary?” I looked up at my preacher-man friend who I refer to as my “little brother.” He nodded, reaching his arm around me to steady me.
“We’re having chapel today, but they changed the planned service. Now the focus will be Dr. Goodman.”
In a few hours, we all went to church. Here’s what I wrote about that service.
http://www.aileenonline.com/b2/?p=19
Lifting up the Goodman family today. Remembering. . .