Longlasting Friendships
Back when Ping was just 5 years old, I was living in Japan. A young 2d lieutenant graduate of the Naval Academy was assigned to the same base in Iwakuni, arriving about a week after I arrived. We became close friends during the year we spent together there. We saw each other after we returned to the U.S. He came to see me while I was attending college. I served as his best man at his wedding. We stayed in contact with each other for years, but somewhere along the way we lost contact with each other.
Last night I received an email from him through the law firm's website. He is retired now, and he tracked me down from his home in Florida. He still calls me Heavy Load, which I also call him. The nickname came about because of all the team competitions we entered as partners in Japan. He is a great athlete, and we played a lot of racketball together. There is no doubt that he had to carry me when we played, but we made a pretty effective team.
We also played cards together, and had another pretty effective team, though I recall one tournament where we had the winning hand but I made a bid that wasn't necessary or smart and we came in second place as a consequence.
He could beat me in any sport except one. The one "sport" in which he could not beat me was lawn darts. For whatever reason, I seemed to be able to beat anyone at lawn darts. That is my only claim to "fame."
Navy is playing in the Texas Bowl in Houston on New Year's Eve this year. It seems like a good excuse for us to get together again. We have a lot of catching up to do, so I hope he and his wife can come up for the game and spend some time with us.
Ping has done a better job of staying in contact with her long time friends. She has a whole group of life long friends. The internet helps a lot in that regard, but it wasn't around to help my friend and I stay in contact with each other. Cici is following in Ping's footsteps and is staying in contact with her long time friends as well.
I once walked in awe of full bird colonels. Now one of them is my Heavy Load.
Last night I received an email from him through the law firm's website. He is retired now, and he tracked me down from his home in Florida. He still calls me Heavy Load, which I also call him. The nickname came about because of all the team competitions we entered as partners in Japan. He is a great athlete, and we played a lot of racketball together. There is no doubt that he had to carry me when we played, but we made a pretty effective team.
We also played cards together, and had another pretty effective team, though I recall one tournament where we had the winning hand but I made a bid that wasn't necessary or smart and we came in second place as a consequence.
He could beat me in any sport except one. The one "sport" in which he could not beat me was lawn darts. For whatever reason, I seemed to be able to beat anyone at lawn darts. That is my only claim to "fame."
Navy is playing in the Texas Bowl in Houston on New Year's Eve this year. It seems like a good excuse for us to get together again. We have a lot of catching up to do, so I hope he and his wife can come up for the game and spend some time with us.
Ping has done a better job of staying in contact with her long time friends. She has a whole group of life long friends. The internet helps a lot in that regard, but it wasn't around to help my friend and I stay in contact with each other. Cici is following in Ping's footsteps and is staying in contact with her long time friends as well.
I once walked in awe of full bird colonels. Now one of them is my Heavy Load.
He's not heavy! He's your load!
Well, I thought it was funny anyway...
It's always great when a long lost friend suddenly appears. I think it's good for the heart.
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