Riding with George

Have you seen the show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee? Jerry Seinfeld drives a comedian to get some coffee and viewers watch them talk. In 2011, when George was the Vernon Wilson visiting professor at Eastern Kentucky University, he invited me to visit and give a talk. One afternoon we took a drive through the countryside and talked about statistics, family, life in general. It was always a learning experience to spend time with George. I relish the memory of that day and think of my good fortune in gaining from the depth of his knowledge, which was always balanced with compassionate understanding and spiced with humor.

We stopped at a gift store, where I bought some bread tongs. For the past nine years I have thought about George every time I use them (which is almost daily). These days those thoughts are more weighty.

Jeff Witmer