K Through 63 And Counting

Aside from your family of origin, who do you have contact with that goes back farthest in your life? What impact has that relationship had on you, for better or worse?

I joined Facebook in March 2011 for a selfish reason. The website hosting my blog, started earlier that same month, suggested social networking as a potential means to reach more people. And though that strategy has worked, Facebook delivered a more noteworthy gift several months ago.

We were born a month apart, lived in the same neighborhood, started kindergarten the same year, then spent K-12 in the same three schools in Irvington. Choice of colleges were different, but as my college rock n' roll band formed, he was drafted on keyboards and vocals; during those years we were inseparable. Early adult life took hold; the musical connection remained. In the mid 80's, on a foray to check out a smoking 10 piece band, discovered to our mutual delight we lived less than a mile from each other in Scotch Plains. Dinners, getting re-acquainted with his wife and younger sister, singing at parties, more music, at least one New Year's Eve together. Later adult life; a slightly longer break. Facebook, dinner out last fall, tomorrow - dinner at his home; my guitar will be with me.

Please excuse the excessive exposition. But this longtime friend deserves so much more. His impact on my life? Beginning in grammar school, he was the musician in town. All state trumpet; played piano & guitar almost as well. When he was forming a high school rock n' roll band, I was drafted to play drums, although I'd never had a set of drumsticks in my 13 year old hands. That was 50 years ago. What would my life have been without this friend? George Bailey, aka Jimmy Stewart, hear any bells ringing?