I looked through about 7 years of digital
pictures I had taken
in order to find a halfway decent one of Mike. This one was
taken with Mike doing something he dearly loved. I think it
captured him
fairly and he would like it.
Mike and I became friends fifty-some years ago and we
had remained so over the years. My memories of him begin
sometime before I started high-school. Who knows when I
first met Mike, but it was probably when I was with my Aunt,
Merle Williams, who was very good friends with Mike's mom
Margaret. I guess that doesn't matter. What matters is that
in my opinion, Mike was a good friend, a good kid and a good
man all of his short life, as to that many have and will attest.
We didn't have a lot of contact after school until I had retired
from the Air Force and Mike had returned to Casey. From that
time on, I never missed the opportunity to see Mike when I was
in Casey. I guess that led to the phone call I received from
Mike and Joe the day after I retired from Hughes Aircraft
Company saying I should come to Casey and help them start
the internet service.
Well, Mike is gone and I'll miss him
every time I think of
home, each time I think of us cruising around Casey either
on foot or by car, each time I remember walking to and from
school and the Rex Restaurant to have lunch. I remember
when the noon bell rang, Mike would be waiting for Bob and
I, and later for Joe too...to walk with us to his house where
most times he would eat and then we'd walk by and pick him
up on our way back to school. I'll remember him each time
I drive by the little brick home on North Central. I'll miss him
when I think of the time in our garage when the model airplane
engine with the 14" propeller came out of the vice and hit me
in the shoulder. Mike, you always said that I jumped five feet
into the air! I can see him now just as that happened.
What dreams we shared, what schemes we
had for the future,
what cars we were going to buy and drive...FAST cars! We
would pour over Hot Rod Magazine, Car & Driver and others
magazines like that until the pages were well worn. We would
argue over which was the fastest, which had the most horse-
power and dream of owning a Mercedes Benz 300SL or a
Porche Carrera, or maybe even an Alpha Romeo Giulietta.
Mike, remember the little red Alfa Spyder we saw in Terre
Haute? If I remember right, when were about sixteen, I think
we might have looked at the occasional Playboy Magazine too.
Do you think?
Well, I've rattled on enough.
So Mike, I'm sorry you had to leave
early. We could have had
many more wonderful conversations. I'll miss you! If you
would just show up at the coffee shop....
Ginny, I'm so sorry for your and your
family's loss.
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