Hamaoui Bid a Fond Adieu.
They say never trust a word with more vowels than consonants. “Truck,” “trick,” “trust.” These are solid words. You know what they mean. They give you confidence. But, “luau,” “utopia,” “aureola,” “uvula,” “anemone.” These tongue-twisting, vowel-loving words are challenging. Most of us avoid them like the plague for fear of sounding stupid.
But, what do you do when a “Jeff Hamaoui” rolls into your life? Jeff is one of my MEA co-founders. His five-vowel last name is hard to say and spell (who has four vowels ending their name?!). Of course, when you say it enough times (and really get to know Jeff), his name is as warm and easy as the man himself. Exotic and simple. To say Hamaoui is to evoke mystery and wonder with deep wisdom lurking just beneath the surface. Today, his three-syllable, tongue-twisting name rolls off my lips with ease and gratitude for a man who has enriched my life in ways I could have never imagined.
I know the U.S. will embrace Jeff and the Hamaoui family as they’ve travelled for their summer break from Baja. We miss you, Jeff and family. And don’t worry, I will share my “fervor for Sperber,” in a later post (aka, Christine Sperber, co-founder of MEA). For now, I miss you both. See you in October.
