"We used to..." (1327 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.96 on 37 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Xcuses (View user info) at 2005-08-12 08:58:03 EDT
In memory of a long lost friend
1969-1990
Greg was a very unique guy. I met him in junior high, where many of our first genuine friendships begin. His family only lived a few subdivisions over from mine and it was a common occurrence for us to be at one of our two houses after school. We both played sports but not all the same ones. Greg was a few inches taller than me and at 6'3", he could play some ball...for a white guy.
The most vivid sports memory I have involving Greg was during a high school basketball game on the road. With many friends in the stands, we cheered on our Groves team. Greg was the starting center and one of our best players. We had all white guys on our team, so you know we weren't that good. Our opponents were from the inner city with much more talent. The game was pretty close to nearing halftime when I witnessed one of the scariest incidents in my life. One of the opponents, for some reason after a made free throw, walked right next to my friend and punched him in the face. To this day we never figured out why he did this, but blood and commotion on the courts quickly ensued. It was a sad moment, to see one of your best friends get blind sided for no reason and go down like a sack of potatoes. His parents, just a couple seats down from me saw the entire thing. It took many months before Greg's vision returned to normal.
WE USED TO GET INTO FIGHTS
Well, let me clarify. My crew would cruise around town like high school punks with nothing to do and nowhere to go. It was at a Big Boy restaurant one night that Greg pulled us out of potential danger. There were a group of guys from a rival school already hanging out at this establishment and since we didn't get the memo that it was 'one HS gang at a time' night, we walked in. Pointless bravado filled the air and within minutes bodies were being tossed from one side of the restaurant to the other. Hanging out with other Jewish guys didn't help either. The would-be lawyer and would-be accountant didn't provide much assistance in the way of fighting. I was a late bloomer as well so my buck forty wasn't gonna be throwin' too many people around. Luckily we had Greg on our side so we walked away pretty much unscathed.
WE USED TO BUILD THINGS
As youngsters after school, we sometimes had to take a break from the norm. In between playing sports and before the 'girl' phase kicked in to hi gear, we found that we had a little extra time on our hands and being creative, our focus shifted to building stuff. We thought we could build just about anything. We tried building a go-cart once but got only as far as saying, "We should build a go-cart". Our time machine experiment ended with similar results. Looking back, I don't think we successfully built one damn thing, but boy was it fun to dream about building something cool. In a way, we were both dreamers but often times failed with the follow through. I guess the saying 'misery likes company' applied to us.
WE USED TO TALK ABOUT GIRLS
Oh how we talked about girls. What adolescent heterosexual guy didn't? Although we had slightly different taste in females, it didn't stop us from discussing who we'd like to bang (shag for you Europeans) and where we'd like to do it. He always chose the taller ones; I tended to lean towards the gymnast type. Since Greg matured a little quicker than most guys our age, his success with the ladies began a little sooner than mine. That pissed me off growing up, but in the end I did alright for myself. Greg was in a serious relationship, one that was surely going to lead him down the alter, if only he'd gotten the chance.
Growing up, neither of us were very good students. It wasn't that we weren't smart, we just didn't apply ourselves. Actually that's not true. We just didn't apply ourselves properly. We spent plenty of time being active, playing sports, and eventually 'college' drinking became a full time hobby. Greg and I went to the same junior high, high school and then the same small college that only lesser grade point students went to. I guess in today's age this would make us grade point challenged?
By the second year of college, we were living in an apartment with two other guys, one of which also attended the same high school as us. While not going to class on a regular occasion, we found other things to do. I played soccer for the school's team and Greg played basketball. My grades started improving while Greg's did not. His entire life, he underperformed scholastically. It was right before my 21st birthday that he told me he was going to start trying a lot harder in school.
Nov 28th, 1990
I was excited to finally see some of my best friends, who had been away at a university three hours away. A few of them were making the road trip to visit me for my birthday weekend. I was turning twenty one and like most twenty first birthday fiasco's, it was planned to be a drunken good time. The plan was to drink all day, then come night time, drink a little more. Greg was going to have to catch up with us later because he decided to help one of his professors set up for a fund raiser event. Typically this would be one of the last things Greg would volunteer to do, especially on THIS weekend with friends in town that neither of us had seen for awhile.
I thought it was a little strange that he wasn't at the apartment by ten thirty, since he had left several hours ago. With no cell phone to reach him on, and plenty of long time friends in town to get me sloshed, I barley noticed his absence. When two in the morning rolled around, I just sensed trouble. Deep down I knew something was wrong, but suppressed that feeling with more alcohol. A couple of hours later the phone rang.
Officer X broke the horrible news
Greg got hit by a drunk driver on his way home. Most people had him pegged as the guy most likely to become a drunk driver, but Greg was starting to turn over a new leaf. On a day that he was giving, something was clearly taken away. We used to have so much fun practicing sports together, pretending that we both would become professional athletes one day. We used to have a riot on the ice rink during the cold Michigan winters. I was terrible at all directional skating but going forward...Greg was worse than me. We used to make fun of fat girls during recess, because that's what junior high boys did. We used to throw snow balls at cars passing by a friend's house, then run like hell when a few would try and chase us. We used to do a lot of really fun things growing up.
It's sad we don't get to do those things anymore...
We used to
User Reviews
Submitted by hollygolitely (user info) at 2005-11-24 03:44:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Yes, I did read this.
Thank you, again.
NO COMMENT, because my comments suck.
<3
Submitted by inbreakingnewsT.A.N. (user info) at 2005-09-23 10:00:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
no comment, really... nothing.
Submitted by iradney (user info) at 2005-09-20 17:48:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-20 01:46:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It's like a hitwhore vicious cycle
Submitted by knucklesnelson (user info) at 2005-08-18 22:36:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-14 00:11:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/73148 <- Results are in, and the finals begin.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-13 07:54:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I wish it would stop raining so I could play some volleyball
Submitted by d_prime (user info) at 2005-08-12 23:28:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Until the last two lines, which show the reality of his life, and how it actually WAS something that could still be continuing but isn't, I was going to only give it a +1; you know, how it isn't just the 'someone died and now i'm sad' motions, but something real.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 17:01:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I have a headache
anyone have asprin?
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-08-12 15:51:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
....
Submitted by Mike00295 (user info) at 2005-08-12 14:57:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I read it again.
The last paragraph is fucking great.
Well Done man.
I'll pull for you in the finals.
<pours some 40oz out>
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-08-12 14:33:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeesh, today is turning into Death Post Friday...
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 14:06:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
thanks skinny
Submitted by SkinnyKenny (user info) at 2005-08-12 13:00:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A fitting tribute, I think.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 12:55:42 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
for the record, this happened quite some time ago and I'm fairly well adjusted from it. It was a tough time when it happened, and also made me decide to transfer schools. It was nice to write this in a way because it allows me to think about the good times.
Submitted by Chroniclysm (user info) at 2005-08-12 12:51:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
That's a lot to deal with. I didn't lose the best friend, but I did lose a close one and I'm still trying to get my act back together.
Submitted by Mr-Boo (user info) at 2005-08-12 11:55:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
My condolences. Losing a friend is hard, losing a best friend is a killer.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-08-12 11:53:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 11:48:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
a hug and some peanut butter cookies....mmmmmmmmmm, you sure know how to get to me
thanks
Submitted by iradney (user info) at 2005-08-12 11:36:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*great big fucking hug*
here you go man, you needed that
and some peanut butter cookies.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:45:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It's early Mike...I'm sure my ditractors will be here any minute...
Submitted by Mike00295 (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:40:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:11:38 (#)
Ranking: 2
This got to be you fucker.
A friend of mine died of a brain tumer at 19. He just went to bed one night and never woke up. That was nearly 10 years ago and I still somtimes wonder what he would've done with his life.
Oh and Mike, you still planning on being in Indy this weekend?
------------------
Check your email.
And damn you Xcuses. You have beaten my ass. Even though you are my alter. So I guess I beat my own ass. And liked it.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:33:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Deidra (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:26:45 (#)
Ranking: 2
You're making me weepy.
----------------
sorry
I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a few tears as I finished this piece up
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:30:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh nut I've just relised the cause for confusion it was supposed to say this got to ME you fucker.
Not got to be, Ooops
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:28:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I didn't mean fucker in an offensive way. It just took me where I hadn't be expecting to go this morning that's all.
I had thought it was true but the fact that it was written so well (and it was may I say) had me thinking that it could've just been a story.
I'm sorry about your loss then man. These things suck
Submitted by Deidra (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:26:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You're making me weepy.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:21:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:11:38 (#)
Ranking: 2
This got to be you fucker.
-------------------
I think your asking if this is a true story- the answer is yes
Submitted by mbstateside (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:11:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This got to be you fucker.
A friend of mine died of a brain tumer at 19. He just went to bed one night and never woke up. That was nearly 10 years ago and I still somtimes wonder what he would've done with his life.
Oh and Mike, you still planning on being in Indy this weekend?
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:09:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 10:03:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I see this won't last too long on the front page
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:39:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:20:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Mike00295 (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:16:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ya got me. Nice.
ps. I am offically the most hung over person in the state of IN. I feel like death. I must have consumed 3 gallons of whiskey last night.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:11:00 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice!
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:06:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I really had intentions of making this twice as long, but then I thought if people like me see a really long piece, they shy away. A battle of "Is it long enought?" yet again
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-08-12 09:01:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff X, I'd like to see more desription ie: sights, sounds, smells but all in all good stuff I like the story.
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2005-08-12 08:58:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
D Prime madness-http://www.ubersite.com/m/72633