Writing a Life Bio for Your Graduating Class After 40 Years of
Healing ~ Part Two
In "Writing a Life Bio for Your Graduating Class After 40 Years
of Healing ~ Part One" I said,
"When my only real high school buddy, Bob Cisco, threatened to
kill himself, I didn't believe that he would do it. I was right.
He didn't end his life by his own hand that time. While I had
departed from that church, Bob had become a Catholic.
I'm sure that you remember Bob. He strutted his white four-year
letterman's sweater which he had to earn by managing the
football team's locker room. He was the skinny, non-athletic,
blond-haired, blue-eyed kid, with the big head, and the funny
name. And Bob was the genius kid who didn't graduate with our
class because his attitude and bruised ego prevented him from
making up one sophomore English credit."
I guess I'm including Bob in my bio because he will never have
a chance to write his own. He wasn't very popular, either. I
remember seeing him "Taken down" in the hall, having his tennis
shoe removed, and the laughter when it wasn't a "Converse."
I was proud of my friend and 3-man debate team partner when (the
year after Dave Watts and I were kicked off the forensics squad
for a curfew violation at the State Championships) Bob won all
of the speech trophies, himself. I didn't doubt that he had
earned a scholarship. Yet, Bob never admitted to anyone that he
was lacking a necessary credit, nor advised by someone in
authority strongly enough to take a summer school class.
I worked by his side when we sold women's shoes. When I went on
to college, I respected the fact that Bob became a journeyman
carpenter.
I stood as his best man when he was married, as he had by me the
first time I wed. I cried with Bob when he did something stupid,
lost his restaurant on 82nd and Foster, and got a divorce.
He catered my oldest daughter's large wedding at "Welshes," Mt.
Hood resort, as his gift. I saw him cut his middle finger off on
his band saw making a toolbox for me. We were friends a long
time.
I was een there to see his weeping sister, Kaye, carry away his
ashes in Arizona, last year too. Perhaps, I'll write more in my
bio later? I've been up all night reflecting. I don't really
feel to well at this moment. It's probably the MS (Multiple
Sclerosis). Funny, I don't remember learning about its warning
signs in health class, or maybe Bob and I skipped school that
day? For now, I'll post this...