Recently, Patrick learned something about a friend in the group -- one of the old men had been a bank robber in the 1930s. He had spent time in a federal penitentiary. Patrick learned of this from an anonymous letter sent to him by the guilty party. In the letter, the friend detailed his life of crime in the desperate days of the dust bowl and depression era, emphasizing that nobody had ever been harmed during the course of his criminal activities. The letter writer insisted that he wouldn’t have committed such crimes under normal circumstances, but his family had been suffering from extreme deprivation and starvation on the meager family farm. He had no choice. The writer offered, “Life was very grim. All of our cattle and horses died of exposure and disease, and crops were scarce during the dust bowl years.” He also wrote that, although he had served prison time, he still felt guilt and remorse over his actions. Thus, he wanted to come clean with his oldest and closest friends. “But first,” he had written, “let’s gather and see if you and our friends can figure out who wrote this letter. Guys our age can use the mental exercise.”