"Bridge over Troubled Water"

We met 80-year-old Bill in the small-town center of Florence, Oregon, right on the edge of the flowing river water. He was selling a car, a red 1990 Buick Reatta V6, a car which he had purchased for his wife, who loved vintage Buicks and "he couldn't say no to her." We ended up talking with Bill for nearly an hour as he gave us valuable life perspective. He spoke slowly and intentionally, painting out details of each memory for us. Bill's life had taken him across trades, continents, and decades of hard work. After college, he served in the Peace Corps, living places such as Haiti and Bolivia. He also developed a clear passion and skillful knowledge for masonry, something he spoke about with pride, his stories full of craftmanship and care.

When asked for a song that reminded him of growing up, Bill paused. He couldn't quite recall the name, but began to describe the way it sounded, the instruments played, and the way it felt. We searched through Spotify together and the second he heard "Bridge over troubled water," he knew it was the one.

Bill loved all the songs of Simon & Garfunkel during his time in the Peace Corps. He remembers listening to them with a friend he called "a kid," Greg, who played their music often. But that memory is also tied to heartbreak and the crashing reality of some difficult times in Bill's life. Greg died of pulmonary edema stationed at extremely high altitudes in Bolivia. His best friend, who eventually took over his masonry business, was caring for Greg when he passed and even years later, Bill could recall every detail. Bill remembers clear as day how "Bridge Over Troubled Water" sounded as he looked out a window over the highest road in Bolivia at nearly 18,000 feet, just before Greg's passing. Years later, Bill named his own son's middle name after Greg.

For Bill, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" holds it all: youth, friendship, loss, finding yourself, and the kind of memory that doesn't fade. Some songs don't just remind us of the past, they hold memories that shape who we are.