Behind the Lines: by David Heiller

David Heiller Some big families live fairly close together, and see each other often. I think they are lucky, even if they sometimes don’t get along so well. Yet, maybe it’s not all bad that my siblings are spread over the United States. It makes the occasions when we do get together all that more memorable. Heillers, at a family wedding. Like last weekend. Six of us brothers and sisters went to St. Charles, Illinois, to attend the wedding of our niece, Jenny. Everybody brought their kids too. It was a beautifully hectic time. I tried to squeeze two years into two days with Jeanne, who I hadn’t seen since 1992. That’s impossible. But small conversations can mean a lot, especially when you grew up together in a loving family. People don’t say many profound things at real life reunions, like they do in Hollywood. They talk about their jobs, or their kids riding in mountain bike races. You get a taste of their lives, and you put the ingredients t...

David Heiller Cindy and I were heading to Reno a couple weeks ago when we spied a farmer haling hay. The farmer gave me a look from the seat of his John Deere tractor, as if he was waiting something, and he was. I waved. Then he waved back. I don’t know who it was, although my bet is that it was a Lampert. Then last Sunday afternoon Mom and I and some relatives were sitting in the yard. A man on an International tractor went clipping along to the north. Mom and I looked at the driver. We waited. He looked at us, then gave a wave. Morn and I gave a good one in return. Mom’s wave was particularly hearty. She looked like she was flagging down the threshing crew for the noon meal. I think she misses living in the country and giving a real wave. "Who was that?”‘ I asked. “I don’t know,” she answered. That’s the beauty of it: A wave is a good thing to do, no matter who it is. All right, there are a few exceptions, but not many. It’ s fun to think about wave protocol...