Lately, I've been in a piss poor mood. Is it okay to write that description? Well, if it isn't then drop dead! Whew! I got that out of my system. Anyway, if you're anything like me you sometimes think of an aspect of your life from earlier years then that memory leads to another and another and on and on and on.
Today, I was thinking about my first best friend and he still is my best friend because he is the first and this memory caused me to count my blessings. His name is Richard but we call him Dick. He'll turn 78 on November 8. Dick and I have been best friends since 1954. When I wrote '54 I was taken aback. It seems so very long ago but then again not. The best aspect of a best friend is that they are non-judgemental even if they know I'm wrong. They are as strong in their loyalty as Kryptonite and that's the way my buddy Dick treated me.
I pretty much spent most of my years from '54 to my high school graduation in '64 with my buddy. I even had my own bed at his house. Dick lived at 109 Linn St. in Boone, Iowa. I can do better. His phone number via real telephone operators was 1076-J. My residence was two and a half blocks north. It was a thrill for me to go to his home. He had three older brothers who were basketball stars and I was in awe hanging around them even if they said things like. "Are you here again? Why don't you go home?" Every Sunday there was a plate of food for me and the meal was always the same; roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy and peas. Every single Sunday---and I loved it. We'd eat while watching the Boston Celtics on television.
All through our lives up to high school graduation we were together, non-stop.(Well, there were a couple interludes when both he and I fell in love). We were so tied together people nicknamed us 'Laurel and Hardy' and we took it as a compliment. When we were at my house he was treated like a member of the family, too. One thing that really rankled me was my mother, prior to Christmas, would always ask him what gifts I wanted then he'd tell her stuff he desired. There were many times I'd wake up on Christmas morning and think, "Who would ever use this piece of junk?" And then that 'piece of junk' magically found its way to Linn Street.
Dick and I still keep in touch. He lives in Bloomington, Minnesota and we get together infrequently but we're still buds. That's what best friends do.
And after Dick's memory I began thinking of other friends. My high school graduation class had 212 members. I can honestly say not a single one of the people who were and are close to me have passed on. I might keep in touch with ten or twelve guys and they offer nothing but wonderful memories. Why not? They're the guys who made me what I am today. What a blessing!
And then my memory moved over to my wedding day of December 27, 1969 and this was in regard to people who have not died, like my close classmates. I believe what I am about to write is worthy of Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Her Majesty and I had six different individuals stand up for us on that day. In my way of counting this comes to twelve. None of these people knew each other, either. Of those 12 friends all are alive today! But, I'm not finished and this is where Ripley walks in the door. Each one of these folks are still married to their original spouse. Read that sentence again. Count your blessings.
The Queen and I have ten grandchildren ranging in ages from 19 down to 9. I have my fingers crossed as I write this but none of the ten has ever had an illness except for maybe a cold. None was born with any type of deformity. All of them are extremely talented in a variety of activities. All of my grandchildren are practicing Catholics. This means a great deal to me because they have values necessary to carry on in life.
Let's all count our blessings!
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