Old Friend

My computer has been acting squirrelly for the past few days. I have mine setup to where the Microsoft updates happen automatically but I think I'm going to turn that off because it alway seems to act up each time I get an update.
I got an email from a childhood friend this evening Richard Parker's grandparents lived across the road from our family and I played with him, his brother, and all his cousins throughout our childhood.
He now lives in Texas but he was home for a family reunion a few weeks ago. They called from Rickwood Caverns Park to ask me to join them but we were out and about and missed the call. By the time we got the message, they had all dispersed like a dandelion on a windy day.
It's funny how interconnected people are. I told him in my return email this evening that his grandfather was my little league coach. I can close my eyes and hear his voice as clearly as if he were sitting here. His cousins Joe and Allan got me interested in playing music. They were from up north and when they came to Alabama the summer of 63 (or 64) they brought electric guitars and drums with them. They played for hours on the front porch. I wasn't that good, but it was loud. I'm sure we frightened every bird, rabbit and squirrel for miles around. A short time later, my old friend Donnie Pinion taught me a few chords and the rest is history.
It was good hearing from Rich. I'm not sure he realizes how much his family means to me.