I transferred a few because they were not run of the mill, not duplicates, or they were ones I remembered but could not find among the thousands of pictures we already had here at Acton Up.
Buds, pals, best friends - I have made many over the years. Move around every year or so and that is what happens. I was never anywhere long enough to solidify a life long bond with anyone. I remember Johnny (on the right) because not only did we share good times, we shared some bad ones. The bad ones I think cut a deeper scar in my memory track. I had been stepping around those scars for years until I saw this photo..
These two troublemakers were inseparable friends in 1961 and 1962. They played games together, got into trouble together, and generally helped each other through some rough times both were dealing with in their personal lives.
This picture I remember being snapped by Johnny's father before our first little league game against each other's team. Neither one of us cared who won except for the bragging rights that would last until the next game.
Johnny's dad however, pulled Johnny aside before he joined his team. He knelt down eye to eye with my friend and grabbed his forearms. I knew what was going on even if I could not hear their conversation. I had seen Johnny's father do this many times when disciplining his son in public. He would squeeze so hard, Johnny often came away with bruises that lasted for days. I never asked Johnny about it.
My team, the Alert Heat and Cooling Colts won that day. I hit a double knocking in the winning run. Johnny came to school on Monday with a big bruise on the back of his neck his T shirt could not hide. I asked him about it. He walked past me without a word.
I never did use my bragging rights.
Keep it 'tween the ditches ..............................................
7 comments:
Wonder what happened to him? Ever google him?
yellowdoggranny- Yeah, about ten years ago I spent many hours trying to find him on the internet. Found a doctor in Tampa with his name- wasn't him. No luck since.
That is sad. Kids are kids. Let them play. Parents ruin so much. I wish you could have found your friend.
My favourite memory or one of them from when my youngest were 12 and 13, was coaching them in the C League of Regina Minor Girls Softball. C League was for the kids who were not athletes, who had never played before and got cut by everyone. We took them all and their parents helped. Our season was only two months, ending when school let out in June as summer holidays meant no one was around on any fixed schedule. At the end of two months if one of the girls caught a fly ball, hit a single or threw someone out, it was a major victory. Two months was not long enough. they would just start to come together as a team. I loved those kids.
Blog Fodder - My great experience with kids was being a volunteer parent working with the local YMCA swim team. No matter what the skill level was, every child was treated the same.
Kids need to have fun.
Coffee is on and stay safe
Child Abuse, whether Physical, Mental or Verbal is never Okay. The sad part is that so many can't or won't talk about it and of coarse when you are a Child and have no Adult Advocating for you or Noticing, it leaves Scars that last a Lifetime. A Lovely pix like that can't convey the Sad Back Story behind it, most would look at it and think there was absolutely no Trouble in Paradise, that's the insidious part... the unknown and often untold Back Stories that can become Trigger Objects. Thanks for stopping by my Blog and a Shame you never could locate your Friend later in Years... often we do Wonder whatever happened to the people in our Lives. I grew up very Nomadic, so like you, had to maintain some Friendships while never being in person with those Friends again... some endured, many fell by the wayside.
Peppy Lady - Indeed. Kids need to have fun. Its sad when adults get in their way.
Bohemian - in the last ten years I have been getting to re-know some high school peers. Several of them I was not that friendly with when we were in high school. Now with a lifetime lived, I have managed to find new friends among them. Odd how Life sorts out the crap we start out with. Thanks for swinging by.
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