CALL ME SNAKE

Thanks to the marvels of the internet, I just discovered that a second childhood friend, whom I have not been in touch with for decades, is not only reading this blog but actually enjoying it. We had a brief email exchange today, and I was pleased to hear that he and his family are doing well.

Our friendship was pretty much based on sports, which is often the case with boys. Neither of us was into deep conversations back then, and our recent exchange–given the passage of time–was somewhat similar in nature.

I think of my friend as a rather shy fellow, which is why I’m still struck by one memory. At a party in junior high school, the only time I can recall the game of “spin the bottle” being played, I remember that when it was his turn, he confidently grabbed the bottle and held it behind his back with one hand as he leaned over and, without hesitation, kissed whichever girl he was supposed to be kissed–doing so firmly and squarely. In that moment, I saw him in a whole new light, and it is through that light that I still remember him–more than 40 years later.