Left to right: Dr. Tim McLaughlin (Alaska), Linda Shanahan (Oregon), Dr. Robert Postle (California)
Linda Shanahan
It was a normal Thursday morning on the pickleball courts at IronOaks. Beginning level Skills and Drills were in session, with five new members joining for their first drill with the group. As usual, session leader Linda Shanahan had them briefly introduce themselves.
After the session, participant Bob shared with Linda that he went to college with a man with the same name and from the same state as one of the new members. Not so unusual!
The following morning, Tim, the new member, showed up at the ball machine where Linda was once again leading a session. After drills, Linda mentioned to Tim that she and Bob went to college with a Tim McLaughlin from Alaska. Tim’s reply was, “Where did you go to school?” “Pacific University.” You guessed it! It was the same Tim. Linda, Tim, and Bob all graduated the same year from this small, private university in Forest Grove, Ore. Bob and Tim were fraternity brothers, and Linda was Bob’s study buddy and fellow lab instructor.
After a dinner, surprising Bob with the news, it was discovered that both Bob and Tim are new residents of IronOaks, moving in one month ago. They both attended the Welcome Dinner but had no idea of the connection. Now they live three blocks apart and have the rest of their lives to reminisce and execute the secret Alpha Zeta handshake. A further co-incidence is that they both became doctors, while Linda pursued her interest in physical education and coaching.
A reunion of fraternity brothers on the IronOaks pickleball courts after 55 years proves that “It’s a Small World After All.”