OLD Friends

Some of you may remember that once in my many 'lives', I thought I was a preacher. During that time, and in my childhood church was the center of my life, whether I liked it or not, because my dad was a Church of God preacher.  Our church had strict RULES and I just accepted them.

(This was at the country church Dad pastored, me on the right and my sister Kat in the middle. left is Shirl. Mama loved her chickens, that was her chicken lot, dad's shadow he always wore a hat)

As time moved on, our church and many other 'strict' churches relaxed their stance on many things. Today's entry comes from an era after I had moved thru several of MY life's phases. From preacher to atheist, to agnostic and back to my Christian beliefs (Notice I said 'I', my girl NEVER had a doubt of what she believed, and we never 'fussed').  Since our 'faith' roads came back together, I am of course, much more liberal than my girl, and we still do not fuss.

(Old friends are like old houses, they hold so many wonderful memories)

On weekends when we are on the road we attend church as a rule. So this week in this area, my girl was reading something, looking for a church and she sorta squealed, "Ron and Sylvia have a church in this area!" WE met Ron and Sylvia after I had become more active teaching and entertaining (no longer preaching). At the time we met,  Ron was just beginning his ministry after 'feeling the call to preach' and we were attending the same church.

So, we visited their church and took them out to dinner afterwards and sat in the booth for an hour talking after the meal. It was fun to catch up, it had been 35 years.  Lots of water under the bridge. Of course I have a tough time communicating but as the crowds diminished in the restaurant I could understand better and I asked about their health, they looked great.

"Well Jack, other than a heart attack, 5 bypasses, a stroke and having a de-fib installed, I am great."  WE  sorta laughed, a surprise laugh, not a funny laugh. then he said, "Seriously, I do feel great and I get along very well."

Now we have an invite to their home for dinner coming up.  It is good to cross paths with folks you have known under pleasant conditions.

"Write a book, price it so your profit is $1, sell a million copies and you have it. Do you know who said that?" Ron asked me.

"No." says I.

"You said that once to the question a kid asked about how to become a millionaire."  I evidently said that during one of the sessions when I bantered back and forth with the kids, that was some of the best times of my life, entertaining kids with chalk, ventriloquism and magic. I miss it.














I taught this kid to change the colors of hankies and he is teaching me how to put a toad to sleep. (That is Sy, from up in the North Woods of Wisconsin, a Darla grandlove. He is practically grown now, I hear)

Ron & Sylvia stirred a lot of good memories.
Nite Shipslog

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I think this is an early '40's Studebaker we saw at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend.

I get upset at finding pictures. I cannot find early pictures of Ron & Sylvia. BUT on the right are our Oldest friends, outside of family and hometown folk. Robert Dallas and the beautiful Marian Fletcher. The picture is us, then and now.

I have mentioned this many times, This is the family of the oldest friends from when I thought I was a preacher. The farming family from Missouri, the Conrads.