Bill Morris was in an expansive mood after the fine dinner we had just enjoyed. After the dishes were cleared, we sat by the fireplace. His eyes showed that he was far, far away. We were old friends, he and his wife Susan, and Mary and I. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Johnston, if you want a formal introduction.

“It happened during our trip to Scotland last fall. We were anxious, Susan and I, to enjoy ourselves during this long-planned trip. So much so that when the recession hit, and things were a bit tighter than usual, we decided to go regardless. We knew that the money we spent would leave us with memories of our trip. It turned out that we returned with far more than that.”

That got our attention. Mary was about to ask what had happened when Bill came out of his daydream and told the story, confidential-like. It struck me that had any strangers been present with us around the fire, the story would never have been told.