Friends

The year was 1987.  It was a very good year.  We’d just moved into a new home that we’d built in Windsor Estates in the “vibrantly growing & progressively new” area of south Broken Arrow.  (sidebar: Don’t bother going there now; as most of south BA is dead and a dump.  Wow, what a difference a few decades makes.)
In 1987, Pam and I celebrated our 10^th year of marriage.  It was also my 30^th birthday year, and the stock market crash that coincided with my birthday on Oct. 19^th taught me an incredibly great lesson about stock market investing.  Mainly, be diversified.  I wasn’t . . .

Several other great things happened in 1987 as well.  We were growing spiritually, involved in Sunday School, and every possible committee that our Baptist church could think of to get us committed.  We loved it.  It was also the year that I went to Teresina, Brazil, for 2 weeks with our church on a mission trip.  That trip taught me so many lessons of life that I need to revisit the scrapbook and blog about it.

1987 though was also the same year that we made friends with two great couples; and who would have thought that 25 years later, that I could say that other than my wife, they are the greatest friends a man could have.  I am truly blessed to have them as my friends.

We had become friends with Daryl & Carla Carter, as we recognized Daryl from church, and again when he was applying chemicals to our yard as a technician for GreenUp.  That relationship was cemented when I took the trip to Brazil, as the newly married Carter’s were on the same mission trip and we became great friends.

Several other memorable moments with the Carter’s:  Attending their oldest son Nate’s birth in a Tux, as I came directly from the Christmas program.  Serving with Daryl on the Financial Freedom committee.  Playing church basketball with Daryl, and never letting him post-up, and then playing untold hours of ego-ball in our driveway.  

Watching Daryl play like a kid with my girls in our above-ground pool in BA.  Watching Daryl play like a kid with my girls in our in-ground pool in Norman, and then roaring with laughter so bad that he nearly puked after my pool ‘incident’. 

Taking three different trips to Kansas City together as couples to enjoy a Royal’s ballgame, and gorging ourselves on BBQ for other parts of the trip.  Going with Daryl on a (free) trip to Syracuse, NY in ’97 to watch an OU football game in the Carrier Dome. (sidebar: OU won the game on a last second field goal). 

Having surprise greetings from the Carter’s in our temporary apartment in ’97 when we moved back from Norman, as they helped with the unpacking, and providing a welcome-wagon package.  Being in business with Daryl for a year in 2000 as we started Sonrise.  Seeing Daryl for the first time without a mustache on his 50^th birthday last year.

We are blessed to count the Carter’s as friends.  I love you Daryl.  I love you Carla.  Thanks for the memories.

~

In 1987, we also met and became friends with Wayne & Cathy Hill.  We originally recognized them from our Sunday School class, and after they had taken several trips past our home on their bike rides, we struck up one of our many long conversations. 

Wayne and I both married over our heads, as Cathy was the 2^nd most beautiful woman that I’d ever met, and I had no idea at that time that women in the world existed other than my wife that could have the gift of mercy.  But Cathy does, and it is what forms such a great bond.

I have always had a love for politics, and Wayne’s passion fueled my desire for involvement and doing our part to influence culture, family, and friends.  Wayne and I served together on a Pro-Life committee at our church; where I first became active in the right to life movement, and we took two different trips to the OKC capitol steps protesting the tragic date in history when unborn baby murder was legalized in our country.

Over the years Wayne and I have had extensive conversation about shadow government, conspiracy, the constitution, the Illuminati, the tri-lateral commission, the truth behind our federal reserve, the gold standard, libertarianism, and in recent years, we have enjoyed company discussing the 10^th amendment, the 2^nd amendment, and the 2^nd worst tragedy of our lifetime; the muslim-communist that runs the USA today.

We stayed friends with the Hills when they moved to Salina, and when we moved to Norman, then OKC, and back to BA.  There were years when we didn’t see each other more than a few times, but each time we did, it was the highlight.

We share a love for good food and taking hours to enjoy it.  How many 100’s of meals have we shared together?  Wow, it’s been a lot.  I used to be hooked on Chili’s, and they were such good sports to always go there with us.  Then Outback, an untold number of Chinese buffets, Red Lobster, Macaroni Grill, On The Border, Charleston’s, the ubiquitous Mazzio’s pizza events, Abuello’s, eating steaks at their place, eating steaks at our place, eating other things at each of our places; I know the list is longer, these just come to memory.  And being able to sit for 2-3 hours to do nothing more than yap, love, encourage; I love it.  (I am though usually always ready to eat again by the end of our meal as so much time has elapsed).  And, I did again last night . . .

We are blessed to have the Hill’s as friends.  I love you Wayne.  I love you Cathy.  Thanks for the memories. 

Here’s to hoping for another 25 years of great times and memories from my great friends. J