What's interesting is that I wrote a story about his dad a few weeks ago for 78 Magazine. The editor asked me if I had a picture, but I didn't.
I used all my people finding skills to locate Joe but to no avail. We had to run the story without a photo.
Then at 9:45 this morning while working on newsletter training, my phone rang, and it was him.
We talked and laughed for over an hour, which seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
He spent time in Vietnam and saw things no one should ever see, but I never once heard him complain.
Today as we caught up with each other's lives, he mentioned that he'd lost his right leg below the knee in a freak accident a few years ago while helping an elderly neighbor cut down a tree.
Some people would have used this as an excuse to feel sorry for themselves and give up. If he feels sorry for himself, I didn't hear it in his voice. He preferred to talk about going hunting, and fishing. Hearing his voice made my day.
We have a tentative fishing date next week to go have our way with some trout on the Sipsey Fork of the Warrior River.
Friendship is like fine wine, it gets better with age.
That is an amazing story. Nothing quite like the renewal of old friendships.
ReplyDeleteWow Rick.
ReplyDeleteImagine your friend calling after all those years and after you wrote the story on his father! That was really something.
Have fun fishing. Hope you catch a slew of them! Susan
Isn't it wonderful how you can just pick up like it was yesterday with really good friends... :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice way to begin your day. I usually meet old friends that I haven't seen in eons when I go home for a funeral. It's always so wonderful to talk after all those years.
ReplyDeleteHappy fishing the both of you.
JB
What a wonderful story. It's always so nice to hear from an old friend.
ReplyDeleteWhat an inspirational story. We only have one choice when things happen to us - move forward.
ReplyDeleteSuch a gift to reconnect with an old friend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! I hope your reunion is a wonderful. He sounds like a really nice guy. It's funny how things come together.
ReplyDeleteDear Rick, first let me apologize. I bookmark all the blogs I follow and I made the mistake of bookmarking not just your blog but a specific posting. So every time I've clicked on your bookmark in the past month, it's taken me to your May 20th posting and I thought you'd never posted any since then. Today I suddenly realized what had happened and so now I got to read your most recent posting. I'm so glad because I enjoy your writing so much.
ReplyDeleteThis posting on friendship speaks volumes to me because I am blessed to have many good friends. And as you say, "Friendship is like fine wine, it gets better with age." For about 15 years I've kept a gratitude journal in which I write each night five things for which I'm grateful that day. And often, really often, the names of friends and their calls and gifts and simply being go into that journal. We have so much to be grateful for. Peace.
That's so cool.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
That's so nice to have this friend get in touch with you like this
ReplyDeleteFishing sounds like a great time to catch up on things.
Oh how I do agree! I have two childhood friends that I wouldn't trade for anything. One I've known for 54 years and the other 47 years. I'm so blessed.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying your blog and it will take me awhile to look around it, but I'll be back. Thanks for following my blog. I look forward to many visits!~Ames.
P.S. Now I am your newest follower! :)
Life is full of wonderful surprises!!
ReplyDeleteLovely story. I'm glad you reunited.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing quite as wonderful as an old friend. Like the song our daughter used to sing when she was in the Brownies a million years ago: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other's gold."
ReplyDelete