Saturday, May 26, 2012

CUZZIN JOHNNY

HELLO TO ALL,

       IT'S BEEN A BIT OF A ROUGH MONTH HERE. THIS PAST SATURDAY MORNING MY COUSIN JOHNNY LOST HIS FIGHT WITH CANCER. IT WAS A TERRIFYINGLY SHORT FIGHT, JUST ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
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     JOHNNY WAS JUST A FEW WEEKS YOUNGER THAN ME, SO WE KIND OF GREW UP TOGETHER. AS KIDS WE SPENT ALOT OF TIME DOING KID THINGS, YA KNOW BASKETBALL, SHOOTIN' GUNS, HANGIN' OUT AT HIS PARENTS FARM, ETC.. AS TEENAGERS WE CHASED GIRLS, PARTIED TOGETHER, GOT IN A LITTLE TROUBLE, NOTHING BIG, RODE MOTORCYCLES TOGETHER, PARTIED A LITTLE MORE, SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER.

      WHEN JOHNNY GOT MARRIED AND WENT INTO THE SERVICE WE KIND OF DRIFTED APART. HE CAME BACK FROM THE SERVICE AND MOVED TO SOUTHERN INDIANA, I HAD GOTTEN MARRIED AND LIVED IN THE TOWN HE GREW UP IN. HE BECAME AN EMERGENCY ROOM NURSE, WROTE A BLOG WHERE HE COULD VENT ON POLITICS AND THE LIKE, AND STARTED GARDENING ETC.. WHEN I STARTED GARDENING AT THE NEW PLACE OUR PATHS KIND OF CROSSED AGAIN. WE'VE BEEN WRITING AND TALKING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE LAST FEW  YEARS AND WE WERE LIKE OLD FRIENDS AGAIN.

     I'M NOT A "ORGANIZED RELIGION" KIND OF GUY, BUT I KNOW IN MY HEART THAT EVERY TIME I THINK OF OLD"GRUMPY UNK" HE'LL BE AROUND WHERE I CAN TALK TO HIM, LEAN ON HIM IF I HAVE TO, AND JUST BE THERE FOR ME. MEMORIES ARE WHAT KEEP OUR DEPARTED FRIENDS NEAR, THEY'RE JUST A THOUGHT AWAY. I THINK OF MY DAD OFTEN AND WHEN I DO I KNOW HE'S LOOKIN' OVER MY SHOULDER THINKING" JUST KEEP YOUR ENDGATE UP KIDDO", A FAVORITE SAYING OF HIS.

     A FRIEND OF JOHNNY'S AND MINE DIED A FEW YEARS AGO, AND ON MY WAY DOWN TO SEE JOHNNY ON SATURDAY I WAS THINKING OF TH0SE TWO KNUCKLEHEADS RIDING MOTORCYCLES ON ALL THE BEST ROADS THERE ARE TO RIDE ON, AND I WAS A LITTLE JEALOUS. SWEEPING INTO SOME BIG TURNS INTO THE MOUNTAINS, SOME LONG STRETCHES OF STRAIGHT ROADS IN THE DESERTS, OR ALONG THE COAST HIGHWAY IN CALIFORNIA. MAN THEY GET TO RIDE THEM ALL.

     I'M GOING TO MISS JOHNNY, FOR ALL THE REASONS YOU MISS SOMEBODY WHEN THEY PASS, BUT I'M GOING TO MISS HIM MOST BECAUSE HE WAS MY FRIEND.

     YOU AND STEVE SAVE SOME RIDES FOR ME, AND YOUR BROTHER, AND SURLY, AND  "KEEP YOUR END GATE UP".  LOVE YA JOHNNY!

                                                                   TALK TO YOU ALL SOON,

                                                                                          TVI