Nicole and my new Magnet

So Jack left a magnet for me in my drawer at work -- one of those ribbon shaped magnets. You've seen them, (surely Cincinnati isn't the only place where there so very ubiquitous,) originally they were yellow and had to do with "Supporting Our Troops," but since then I've seen them for all kind of stuff -- breast cancer, save the manatees, gay pride, let's bomb some brown people, happiness is being a family, God likes our flag better than yours -- you name it. I think they cost around $4, and if that's the case someone is getting seriously wealthy because they're everywhere. Some cars even have mulitple versions -- four and five of these things lined up across their trunks like little soldiers. And they're just magnets; I wondered for a long time what kept people from stealing them until it dawned on me that since everyone in the world has one, there's no need. Everyone but us, that is. Until this week.

The one that Jack left for me says, "Remembering Lou Gehrig -- 4 -- Beal ALS." Jack's wife, (and our friend,) Janet is living with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and we just named our firstborn after the guy, and this particular magnet I'd never seen before, so I like it. Ruthie's already filched it for her own car.

Anyway, I open my drawer at work the other day and discover this magnet and am showing it to my friend Andy and Nicole happens to be there. She's probably 21 years old and is a sweet girl. She looks at this thing and says, "Who's Louie Gering?" And I say, "Really Nicole? Do you not know who Lou Gehrig was?" And I get a blank stare, so I give her the short version -- greatest first baseman of all time, the Streak, all around good guy, played with the Babe, (she'd heard of him,) contracted the disease that bears his name, (what were the odds?). And all the while she's giving me this bewildered look like she's trying to figure something out. Finally Andy pipes up and says, "Hey, didn't you just name your kid after him?" knowing that we had. And Nicole says, relieved, "That's why that name sounds familiar!"

That's messed up.