Thursday, May 23, 2019
I haven't seen Jerry in 35 years, but we were very close as kids. Some of my best memories from that time involved Jerry, from the church lock-ins, to him getting his first car (that little yellow Dodge Colt), to trying to find that elusive first girlfriend. Two stand out and make me smile to this day.
We were taking a class with Miss Bennett in Shakespearean Sonnets (Dear God! Why??). We started laughing at something and Mrs. Bennett got onto both of us (She had such a great sense of humor). After we shut up, I looked at Jerry and he started grinning and laughed. As soon as he laughed I started laughing. This continued 3-4 more times before she frog marched both of us up to the Principal's office. Stupidest thing I've ever been punished for.
My very first date was set up to be a double date with Jerry and his girlfriend. I was 15 and he was 16, so he could drive. He ended up getting stood up. I was as nervous as I could be, riding around in the backseat for the first time with a girl, but Jerry held up his end of the deal and chauffered me and my date to the romantic destinations of Lunar Tunes and pizza. He laughed at me for days. In those days he was very quick to laugh and joked around non-stop.
I heard from Jerry for the first time about a year ago and know he has had some serious health issues for some time. I hope you are at peace, my friend.
