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- Go to THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS
I think I understand that.
I have lost -- or moved away from friends -- throughout my life.
I have a sort of "numb" reaction to a lot of things, so I may not take these things as hard as you do.
The first friend I remember "losing" is Jimmy Wakeley. He and Joyce Tindall and I were a close trio in fourth grade. He announced he had to leave school because of Rheumatic Fever, caused by Streptococcus, I believe -- another step beyond Strep Throat -- somebody can correct me. Anyway, it wasn't until later that I learned of the seriousness of this disease and I do feel a void there not knowing what happened to him, whether he survived (low survival rate) -- he gave me his pencil case with a slide in ruler and pencil sharpener -- maybe a few other things -- on his last day at school. I remember him and Joyce and me being in the hallway together then.
Then there's George Owens -- great friend in 5th and 6th grade -- we parted when we went to different Junior High Schools, I visited his house often though since he lived about a quarter mile from the trailer court I lived in. Then we moved to the City and I saw him less. Stayed with his family in 64 (he was in the service then) while I was looking for a job in St. Louis (saw Beatles debut on Ed Sullivan then).
Some friends from the City, like Harold Nation and Ed Goodwin, I "rediscovered" and kept in touch with to some extent. Watched Ed basically destroy his life through alcohol and drugs -- he died of a coronary about two years ago.
The first friend I remember hearing about dying was a classmate at Fredericktown H.S., James Williams. He died in an auto accident in Rolla when he blacked out due to an insulin overdose.
I think the basic thing -- at least to me -- is - - you wonder -- how come all of them and not you, sometimes.
My thing -- every close friend I've had -- gone in some manner. One more -- I won't mention his name -- your mom knows him -- he visited our apt a lot and I played tennis with him. coworker from Social Services, his dad was a psychiatrist -- my friend had psychological problems, took anti-depressants -- went in to a mental hospital with a nervous breakdown -- haven't seen him since. Wonder what happened to him.
Here's the moral: don't become a close friend of mine if you want to stay healthy.
I don't really have any really close friends now. Might be good -- I don't know -- there is a sort of emptiness -- then there's this solitary independence which is good in its own way.
posted by
Xeno-x
on September 13, 2004 at 9:44 AM
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