I Almost Knew Him

When I saw this (and then again when I saw the cameo Alan Berliner put in during "Winnebago Man") I got a little thrill: I recognize you, AB!

Yes, we grew up together. That is to say we spent a couple of summers together in the Berkshires of western MA on Lake Onota. Alan looks *just* the same as he did in 1965: I can still remember his bony physique, awkward loping gait and gap-toothed smile. Those reptilian eyes haven't changed at all.

Alan was a nature geek: way, way before it was cool to hug trees. He'd spend all his time catching frogs and slimy newts while the rest of us swam and played ball. He was such a lover of the slime that we took to calling him Frog Boy. We teased him mercilessly

Anyway, I got to wondering whether Alan would remember me from those ancient summers. I was very impressed by how much he looked the same as I recalled him: those eyes of his look just as I remember them.

Then I got a shock: I realized that my young pal's name had been Danny Berliner, not Alan. Danny would've been a few years older than Alan, but otherwise could have easily passed for his twin. So I'm guessing that Alan and Danny are related. Closely.

Alan: if you read this (and what self-referential ego-Googler could resist?) please tell your close relative Danny that his old chum Dean said hi.

He'll certainly remember me, for how many Deans does a guy run into in their lives? Dean is an almost-unusual name. In fact, I'm considering flying all the other white middle-aged American male Deans to my house for dinner some night. We should all fit comfortably in my playroom. Then we can argue about whether Dale Carnegie said that the sweetest sound is Alan, Danny, or Dean.