New travels with Alexander the Great

Grandson Alexander the Great has been visiting, and I’ve been seeing our querencia through new eyes.
Not that Alex is new to the West. He’s spent all of his 18 years living in some of its most interesting parts, including San Diego, California, Oregon, Idaho and in Washington, where he was born, in Spokane, near the site of his current home and close to his long-time digs in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
And of course, in New Mexico. He lived in Las Cruces from ages 3 through 10 and has returned to visit family here over the years.
But this time seems different, somehow. His aunts and uncles and cousins have scattered from Texas to the Pacific Northwest. Many of his best childhood buddies are away at college.
Being Alex, he managed to assemble a new posse.
We used to joke that his presidential campaign began when he was a toddler. By his late preschool years, he could amble into playgrounds or kids’ areas at fast-food emporiums and organize diverse, often downright chaotic, herds of K through 8th-graders into imaginative, artfully choreographed groups with a single purpose: specific games, maybe, re-enactments of hit movies or TV shows, or an impromptu mission based on the resources at hand.
When I reminded him of his early leadership endeavors, he acknowledged his role, but issued a modest disclaimer, “I just happened to know what would be the most fun.”
It’s true.
We were boon companions during his elementary school years here, and he was a good sport about accompanying me on my arts and entertainment rounds, offering thoughtful observations about the quality of visual arts, theatrical and dance performances, fiestas ... and the hors d’oeuvres at exhibit openings.
During our spring break/reunion, he hit the ground running. On the way back from the airport, we caught the first evening of the Las Cruces Country Music Festival and he braved the ferocious winds long enough to evaluate the venue, the sound systems and the opening bands.
The next morning, he faced an even greater challenge, getting up before noon to catch the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market. (I’m not being snide. He was coming from a different time zone, had foregone a night’s sleep to catch a ridiculously early flight, and is by nature a creature of the night, like all of us in the musician side of the family, at least in our early years.)
And speaking of jet lag and the impact on his grandmother of white-knuckled drives through downtown El Paso during rush hour, Alex kindly and diplomatically revealed his true identity when I introduced him to a colleague as “my son, Ryan.”
It was an addled senior moment, but truth to tell, there are some almost freakish similarities between son and grandson. Alex is a tad taller and a little lankier than his dad, but I suspect even impartial experts might have trouble distinguishing their voices and guitar riffs. Even more striking: their doppleganger laughs, their senses of humor, and their wry, witty and laugh-out-loud funny running commentaries on life.
Alex was impressed with the growth of the Las Cruces Farmers’ and Crafts Market since the days when he and his mom and relatives occasionally exhibited their wares. He quickly covered the full market stretch on Main Street, to and fro. He left a tip and struck up a conversation with the market musician he deemed the most talented and explained in great detail why he admired the performance.
He sat on the rock wall surrounding my patio and absorbed some vitamin D under the bright lapis blue skies.
He disappeared for a bit and return to report he’d visited our nearby park and again maneuvered the water fountain to give another drink to our favorite old tree there, “For old times’ sake.”
I recalled the kind act, but had forgotten what he’d named the sprawling Mexican elder. Alex remembered: “Tommo, I named it Tommo, for some reason.”
I recognized the tree, too, when I checked later. Tommo is far and away the greenest tree in that park.
S. Derrickson Moore may be reached at dmoore@lcsun-news.com, @DerricksonMoore on Twitter and Tout or call 575-541-5450.