A telex from Aldo

In 1984 and 1985, my friend Aldo Carrasco worked for a textile importer in New York. He was responsible for telex communication with European companies. He also used the telex machine to send messages to Elaine at work in Boston (she was friends with the telex operator) and to the two of us at home (by mail) in Brookline, Massachusetts. Above, one such message. If you look closely, you'll see that Frankie was fumbling a bit with the lyric.

A cousin of Aldo's recently asked me if I could post something from Aldo's correspondence. This telex — spontaneous, over the top, meant to delight — reminds me of how dedicated Aldo was to making the countless kind and funny gestures that sustain friendships. I can't imagine that he ever thought twice about whether to send a letter or make a call. (His phone bills were enormous.) That's what I would call the Aldine approach to friendship: do it, say it, write it. Your friends will thank you for it.

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Letters from Aldo