Friendship: Part I

I wrote this a few nights ago with the intention of attaching a picture, but I don't have the picture yet. I want to get this started though, so I'll just get the picture up later.

I've decided to do a bit of a series of stories - stories about my life. As I was driving home this evening, I started to think of all of the friends that I've had over the years. Some of them have stuck by me through the thick and thin. some were just there during a small period. the interesting thing is that no matter who they are, I have loved them all. so - I would like to do a bit of a tribute. I don't know how long it will take me . . . I'm thinking it will probably be a life-long project (considering the fact that friends can be made every day). For now I will begin at the beginning - the first friend I can remember.


His name was Mark. His mom and my mom were good friends - and they still are to this day. Mark's mom is disabled and has very little use of her legs. I would have to ask my mom for the details, but I think I must have been 4 or 5 when Mark and I became friends. I'm pretty sure that he was at my 5 year birthday party. My mom would take me to his house while she visited with his mom. And here are the memories:

Mark had a big house - and he had lots of toys too. One of my favorite parts of Mark's house was the cubby hole underneath the stairs. It was a cool hiding place. I remember watching Star Wars with Mark. They must have had a VCR? hmmm . . . I'm really not sure. but I'm positive that I watched Star Wars with him. He had a rocking horse - so we could play cowboys. they had big bean bag chairs too. the play room was in the basement - a nice big carpeted room. The first time I ever played with an etch-a-sketch was at Mark's house. He was a fun friend. Because of the neighborhood that he lived in, his family had access to a pool. I remember going to swim on a couple of different occasions. One of my most vivid memories is of one of those trips to the pool. I specifically remember getting the call at home - then my mom surprising us and telling us we got to go to the pool. that's the first time I remember realizing what it felt like to have butterflies in your stomach.

One of my last memories from my childhood with Mark was getting to play on their computer. I remember putting the hard disk in and playing a game of some sort. It was probably one of the first times I ever got to use a computer.

Eventually as I grew up my mom and his mom visited with each other less frequently and Mark and I didn't get to see each other as much anymore, but I don't think that I will ever forget him. Sure, he had lots of cool things to play with, but more than anything, we were two children who loved to play together. He was my friend. He was the first person I called when I learned how to use a telephone. The innocence and fun of our friendship is a dear memory to me. I don't have many memories of my childhood, so I am grateful that I have kept my time with him safe in my mind.

Next time: Leland. Look forward to Leland. He was my first love. ;)

Until next time. Thanks for Listening.