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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PAW-PAW: PAUL SIMON CELEBRATES 75TH QUIETLY WITH FAMILY
BY CALEB HALE
THE SOUTHERN
MAKANDA -- At 75, Paul Simon is known as many things -- a former U.S. senator, a one-time presidential candidate, a journalist, commentator and diplomat. But his four grandchildren know him simply as "paw-paw."
Simon celebrated his 75th birthday Saturday, but instead of a big formal bash he chose to spend it quietly with family at his Makanda home. It was as quiet as one can expect with four children playing in the house.
Simon was sitting on the couch, having just finished picking up sleeping bags off his living room floor. "The kids were having a camp-out here," he explained.
The sound of laughter grew louder from the hallway and crested with the appearance of four children, running into the room, one with a large pink inner tube.
"We're playing cops and robbers," one of the girls said. "We'll be the cops and you're the robber!"
She tossed up the inner tube, which almost landed over Simon's head.
This is the atmosphere that allows the former senator to forget about his typical line of work -- writing books, analyzing and proposing foreign and domestic policies, teaching university courses. Not that Simon ever truly forgets about his work, family members say.
Simon's 39-year-old son, Martin, said his father is a true workaholic.
"There's not many 75-year-olds who maintain the pace he does," he said. "We try to get him to slow down a few times a year, but this is who he is. He wouldn't be happy if he didn't do it."
Martin's wife, Julie, sat at the dining room table, reading the newspaper and watching her father-in-law play with the kids. "We make every effort we can to take one vacation a year together," she said.
Martin and Julie live in the Washington, D.C., area. They said they used to see Simon more when he served in the U.S. Senate. Since he retired and moved to Makanda, his pace hasn't decreased but his accessibility has.
Julie said despite the many hours spent in his home or office, Simon always makes time for his family.
"If there's anyone who can take him away from a newspaper, it's a grandchild coming up and saying 'Paw-paw, let's play shuffleboard or hide and seek,'" she said. "He's a remarkable man."
Simon's heart is still very much that of a public servant's. "I think the great satisfactions in life come from helping others," he said. "I'm keeping busy, and I enjoy keeping busy."
For Simon, there is still much yet to be done. As director of the Public Policy Institute on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, he is engaged in projects either ending or beginning. As an elder statesman, Simon's advice is sought and his commentary listened to.
However, the reality is he is no longer a U.S. senator, and Simon said getting his message across these days is sometimes a bit more difficult.
"I was opposed to us going into Iraq," he said. "I would have loved to have been on the Senate floor and made a speech against that."
Instead, Simon found himself speaking his mind from a distance and to a political arena that he said seems rife with partisan conflicts.
Simon's voice is still being heard in the world. He continues to write books, two of which came out in October. He said he is currently at work on another book, with a deadline of April 2005.
In some ways, Simon said it is difficult to escape a political lifestyle. "I guess when you're in public life, your life is an open book anyway," he said.
It is not impossible for a person to detach themselves from public service, but it's unlikely Simon will allow it to happen in the near future.
After 75 years, answering the difficult questions in politics, foreign policy and societal issues is something Simon is prepared to do -- after he tucks his grandchildren into bed for the night.
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/rednews/2003/11/30/build/local/LOC002.html
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