Sunday, March 10, 2013

Anniversaries Bitter and Sweet


Tomorrow, 11 Mar 2013, will be a day both bitter and sweet. It's sweet because it marks six months to the day since my surgery to replace both hips. Things could not be better with my health since then, thank the Lord. I am doing quite well. However, it's also the birthday of my late friend Larry Dambeck.

Larry and I met when I first joined the Mount Prospect Midget Football League (the MPMFA) in sixth grade. He and I generally were the last two players to finish the opening run around the football field, which, no doubt, would still be true today. But while Larry played and started from sixth grade through eighth, I broke a hand in sixth grade and an arm in eighth grade, both on the gridiron; both injuries finished my season, of course.

It was during the second half of freshman year at Prospect High School that Larry and I found ourselves in the same gym class. Larry asked if I wanted to start playing softball and such with his other friends, and so began friendships that have lasted all these years. I met Hauslein, Brickwood, Drager and all the rest, as well as their siblings and parents.

Sometimes Larry and I used to ride our bikes to Randhurst mall, buy a Slurpee at the SS Kresge store and sit on our "freak bench" and watch the people go by. When we got our driver's licenses, and had cars of our own, the trips usually involved Jack in the Box, Luke's or Peep's. And, naturally, a little later still, some of our trips were across the state line into Wisconsin for a beer or six. When his folks moved back to Wisconsin, and Larry moved to Cedarburg with them, I often took the trip up I-294 from Mount Prospect to see him. He moved back to Illinois and lived with my folks and I for a couple of years too.

Larry was Best Man at my wedding, and at Drager's, too, though he himself never married.

As children came along our contact diminished, but it picked up some the last couple of years, aided by the cell phone. I'd call Larry once in a while as I drove home, usually a 45-minute trip (which is how long our calls would last). Went up to see him once in the fall, three years ago, and then four of us guys went up two summers ago. I'm certainly glad we did! We fell right into talking about all of the same things, reminiscing about school and old friends as if days had gone by instead of years.

Larry died on Christmas Eve this past December. He was found sitting in his chair, having just had dinner, TV still on. He went quickly, the doctors say. Too soon, I say, because I was looking forward to the next visit, when we could have renewed our friendship over a beer, some good food and conversations about everything . . . and nothing at all.

Happy Birthday, Larry! It was an honor to know you, and call you my friend.