Belwah

Beloit College introduced me to a lot of people, places and things that have enriched my life for the better. Take my friend, Drea. We met our first week at Beloit and became fast friends. Over the years, we’ve shared everything from bottles of cheap vodka to our deepest hopes and fears.

Even though Drea lives in Chicago (well, Evanston) with her husband Ben, and their kitties Ella and Milo--we're friends for the long haul.

Beloit College also introduced me to a ton of musical artists that remain favorites thanks to the awesome programming by folks like my friend Phyllis.

One campus-wide favorite was a singer-song writer named Ellis Paul. He is equal parts poet, storyteller and musician. Some have even compared him to James Taylor. Need I say more?

Drea came to Detroit for a visit this past weekend. As luck would have it, I actually think it was God smiling down, Ellis Paul was scheduled to play a show at The Ark in Ann Arbor on Friday night.

It had been years since we’d seen Ellis Paul live (more years that I care to count, quite frankly!) He sang some old favorites that took us right back in time to a truckload of good memories, as well as many new songs that reminded us why we think he’s so great.

We ran into Ellis Paul after the show. He was gracious enough to let us snap this quick pic.