It doesn’t seem fair to give too many details, since she didn’t know she’d be on the record. She challenged my friend to a game of pool, she challenged everyone who passed by the table. Even at 81 years old she beat them all, consistently, without arrogance. “I’ve got confidence in myself,” she declared. She played slowly from time to time, checking to see if her challengers were trying to go easy on the old lady. She had her long gray hair in a ponytail, she was short in stature, but studied the room with clear blue eyes.

She ran the bar across the street for many years and told tales of troublemakers. There was a laminated prayer card in her pocket. She mentioned her husband and I leaned in, “What’s his name?” She lit up as she answered. She lit up in a way that I envied.

I asked…