Hello Again, Darryl! Lunch With My Very First Friend From 44 Years Ago

By Bill Craig

It was awesome seeing you again today after how many years - 44????

Darryl was the first kid ever to befriend me following my family's emigration to Georgia in 1960. Specifically a small town named Villa Rica - not really the friendliest place for a kid of 11, who barely spoke any English.
===================================================
===================================================

So there we sat today at noon: two old guys with similar afflictions (he with Parkinson's added in), throwing memories at each other, correcting them and, at times, guffawing so loud it caused the Longhorn's clientele to turn and smile as they caught little wisps of our conversation.

We couldn't have looked more different had we been born on separate planets. Me with my brown hair shaggy with bangs in my eyes, Beatles' style, and he with his snow-white hair and flowing beard, making him look like a pirate (his favorite historical character), his once flame-red locks now having given way to the "salt" of the ages.

"I still remember your phone number", I said, and repeated it to him.

"And I remember yours", and, with a wink told me exactly what it was.

"As kids, were we magicians with refrigerator or washing machine boxes, or what?", I asked, and then recounted that said boxes served as spaceships, castles, bunkers and tanks. For what seemed like days (our days - as long or as short as we wanted), we role-played our way through the space age, medieval times and chivalry and World War II. I was kinda glad we were on the same side (The Allies) during that last time period, because I was having enough trouble in real time being a "soldier in the German Army".

Intrepid hunters we were! Yes, indeed!

Many a night would find us camped out in my back yard using the two shelter halves (somewhat larger than a pup tent when buttoned together) our Dads had kept from their days in the service.

We played Army until dusk and built ourselves a small fire to cook our K-Rations on. Dessert were PB&J's from a CARE package sent from way back in the "States" by our Moms.

Yes? You have a question?

'Why was there an extension cord snaking out the back of our tent?'

Well see, we were ordered by our commanding officer(s), "General Mom" to always have a source of light in case we needed to escape in a hurry from the squirrels....errrr, enemy. We couldn't very well try to grab our weapons and other gear in the dark, could we?

We also needed the lamp in order to read the  comics (Batman, Superman and Sgt. Rock) we needed in order to enjoy some mini R&R.

Yes. There were 6 cords hooked together.
===============================================================
===============================================================

There is much more "history" to be written from both our memories, but today was a very good start.

Thanks, Darryl,  for what I know is only number one of our historical series
==============================================================
==============================================================

Afterword

Sitting across from my friend and listening to his words, I was glad I'd brought a pen and notebook, because the memories flew across the table faster than the speed of light.
===============================================================
===============================================================
===============================================================

==============================================================
==============================================================

Please remember to click and feed our four-footed ones!

The Animal Rescue Site

Thanks,

Bill

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Thanks, Suzette!

By Bill Craig
Image
My friend and dementia counsellor Suzette recently wrote a very informative (and flattering) article about the "German Boy" and his upcoming bike ride, and you may see it by clicking the title of this entry. I am very appreciative of her and the GA chapter of the Alzheimer's Association for supporting me, and my ride is dedicated to them, Alzheimer patients and their caregivers as well as the four-footers. Incidentally, D and I were finally able to attend this month's Forget Me Not luncheon (for Alzheimer's patients and their care givers) at South of La Paz Mexican restaurant in Atlanta and I'd like to thank my friend for making this possible. Really , Suzette's so sweet she makes ya wanna roll over and do all kinds of doggy tricks for her! I kid, of course, but I don't think I have ever met a more charismatic person in my life. It was also a pleasure to meet and converse with Kathy Simpson who also works with the Georgia chapter. Kathy and I have e-m...
Read more

Skipping Ahead A Bit In The Memoirs

By Bill Craig
Image
This is part of something I wrote on another message board with some editing, okay? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- My very good friend on the Dope, Oakminster , brought this to mind when he shared this in a thread of mine called "Your Favorite Commercials". Okay, I have already mentioned that my American soldier Dad brought me and my German Mom and brother to the US in 1960. At that time, I still spoke with a very heavy German accent and did my best to try to fit in. One of the ways was to "go out" for "Midget Football" and it was my first encounter with who would prove to be an inspiration to me and I am sure many others: Coach Roger Sauls who passed away last year. Coach was very patient with me, teaching me the "ins and outs" of throwing and kicking that strange looking egg-shaped ball! In those days, a lot of little boys went out for it and we all had our heroes on the Villa Rica Wildcats Varsity t...
Read more

Alzheimer's Advocacy Forum 2011

By Bill Craig
Image
I have been given a great opportunity and honor from my local Alzheimer's Association and my counsellors Suzette and Kathy, and I wanted to tell y'all about it. It is a chance to be granted a scholarship to attend the Public Policy Forum/Advocacy Action Summit which will be May 15-17 2011 in Washington, DC. It will be a time to become educated about the issues, learn new skills, network with fellow advocates and take our message directly to members of Congress to fight for our legislative agenda and I am honored to have been chosen to have my name submitted for this event. If I am chosen to receive the scholarship, I plan not only to participate in all of the above events, but to serve as a "reporter" and write about what I see and experience there. This will also allow me to put to use my journalistic skills which have been "moth-balled" of late. Quoting from Karen Kauffman's* article, 2010 was a year of optimism for those of us in Alzheimer's Advo...
Read more