Hello Friends! Dream of Things has a Page on Facebook, and everybody on Facebook is a “friend,” but that’s not why I begin my posts and e-mails with “Hello Friends!”
I chose that salutation as a tribute to one of my teachers and mentors. Professor William Brady taught Shakespeare, Renaissance literature and modern fiction at Knox College for 32 years. He was described as having a “booming eloquence,” and everyone enjoyed his readings of Shakespeare and poetry. He also led an annual celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday, where students and faculty performed scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. (I once played Falstaff in a scene from Henry IV, Part 1.)
One of the things Professor Brady was known for was the way he entered a room. Whether it was a formal occasion, a classroom or a casual social event, he always entered with a booming, “Hello Friends!” We always looked forward to those words and to his good company. I use “Hello Friends!” to honor the memory of Professor Brady. To me, those words are among the warmest in the English language.
