Thursday, February 17, 2005
Random anecdote #2: Viddy well, oh my brothers, and learn of my droogs.
There are a lot of great stories out there about a man and his relationship with his friends. This is not one of them.
As hard as it is for me to admit, much of who I am is due to the influence of others. So who made Carl? There is the obvious scapegoat, society (aka, the times I grew up in), and the next likely source of influence would be my parents. But a person’s friends make a great deal of difference in personality and destiny. In my case, my friends probably played a larger role in making me "me" than any other influence.
I have always been very reliant on my friends, and as little as I tend to like masses of people, I love interacting with individuals. The lowest points of my life have all been when I had the least friends about me, and the thing that has kept me going is the times when I either reconnected with an old friend, or made a new one.
So rather than focus on one anecdote, I want to tell a few short stories about things that I have experienced with my friends… and maybe give you all a who’s who list of the people that helped build Carl. This isn’t everyone, just those that are easier to write about. I didn't write about Sandy, because that is way to complicated for ths post. And I didn’t write about my brother, because you can read his blog and the papers if you want to know about him. :) All you need to know is "proof of cricketing."
Steve G.: a neighbor, classmate, and a kid that valued imagination as much as I did. He also seemed to have the coolest kid stuff. He had a ton of Star Wars toys, an Atari, a TV with access to MTV, a pool, a VCR (Beta, but it was still a VCR), and a ton of Dungeons and Dragons supplies. Steve had a knack of being up for about anything. We were constantly playing war, waffle-ball, Nintendo, or some sort of role playing game. I spent every day playing with Steve from 2nd grade to early high school.
Mark T.: perhaps the richest kid in our gang. He was equally cool, and very smart to boot. He was talented at sports, and sort of introduced a lot of physical activity to us all. His mom was German, and sort of liberal, so I also had a lot of access to R movies and such. I saw my first movie-boobs at his house one Friday (it was on the movie “Private School”). It was cool to learn about Germany (to which he had visited a few times… lucky!), and to find at any early age that the USA is not the only country in the world. When Mark got his car, things really took off for us all. Mark also had a killer sense of humor, and a lot of my sense of comedy probably comes from the constant joking around our group was involved in.
Kevin T.: As we grew into teens, I started hanging out with Kevin (or Kev-bo). He was into hunting, fishing, hockey, baseball, and Nintendo. And he was the first in our group to have an exaggerated sense of testosterone driven ego… which was a lot of fun. Kevin made the rest of us make “scammin’ on chicks” a priority. Plus, he was way into Def Leppard, which rocked. When things turned “churchy” late in high school, Kevin was a willing participant in youth groups and summer camps, which made some miserable times pretty cool.
Matt B.: Matt and I were best friends in high school, and continued to be close in college. We had a two-man gang that ruled FCC, Foodland, NCC, and low areas of Kanesville. We ate and drank ourselves stupid, listening to Steve Miller, King’s X, and Swirling Eddies. We played softball and basketball anywhere we could, and fancied ourselves to be rock stars in the making. We were together for a lot of crazy times, and there was a long stretch of time when we didn’t go a day without doing something together. And, we both had a cynical view on life that made for some interesting fun. Tooling around CB in the souped up Falcon, or hauling our way down 275 in the Maverick were the best of times. Matt even introduced me to Sandy. Matt returned to CB, and is even the children’s minister at my church now… but we just have never found a way to reconnect. I miss those days a lot.
Nate P.: Meeting Nate and college probably saved my sanity. He was at once dedicated to Christianity, but also had a zeal for the fun things in life. He too liked Nintendo, movies, Monty Python, U2, and eventually, Ren and Stimpy. I tried to explain Nate to a pharmacist friend of mine, and she said “it must be cool to have a friend who gets so excited about things.” And that pretty well described Nate. Our tastes may not always be similar, but when they match, it is nice to have a friend who can appreciate every little detail to an obsessive level. Nate is one of my few friends that can appreciate a movie on several levels, and at the same time be able to set aside what is going on superficially. Nate is best described by one word, “fun.” If I had two, they would be “pickle bus.”
Carlin S.: Carlin, like Nate, helped me through NCC. I have a hard time putting into words what our friendship is like, but without her, a lot of my college experience would have been pretty drab. Carlin was the first person I met in Norfolk, a year before I started college. She was huge in helping me refine my tastes in music, movies, and subculture. She never laughed at me (to my face) for the open flannel shirt and torn jeans, and she was a willing cohort on any concert trip to Omaha. I can remember the day when I thought I would never see her again; we dropped her off at some strange guy’s house in Omaha so she could hitch a ride to TX for a concert! She was just out there like that. And it was fun to be around her. She was witty, creative, and well read (which is about a billion times more than I can say for anyone who has been home-schooled). I will say that Carlin is one of those terminally cool people who can’t help but be hip, but I wouldn’t say that she is one of these shallow people who is forever chasing after being up with the sub-culture Jones’. And, like most of my friends who are great (if not quirky) people, life still owes her a break or two. Carlin is definitely a part of the Carl mythos, and our friendship is just too hard to put into words.
Paul S.: Paul is my intellectual rock. Getting to know Paul changed my NCC experience in a meaningful way; he got me to use my natural critical thinking and focus on higher purposes. Not that he wasn’t about fun either (we talked about Star Wars like every day), but what I cherish most is his intellect. Of all of my NCC friends, it was hardest to adjust to life “outside” without him around. Along with Paul, I started the Bubblegoose years ago as an email newsletter. Since, he has grown into an amazing writer and excellent preacher. His blog (Paul’s Ponderings) is a fantastic resource for those looking for a little pick me up when it comes to faith. And above all, Paul is an honest Christian. I do not think that there are many of those out there. He is honest with himself and others about questions, strengths, and weaknesses of the faith. While he comes from a strong Christian family, to me he is perhaps the one person I most fell has developed a personal relationship with God on his own. Not that others I know haven’t, but Paul has sound theology, a science-like approach to faith, and an inspired insight to the Gospels. He will be a great teacher and writer on faith matters. And it stinks that we aren’t closer. Oh, and no one can defeat us at Axis and Allies when we are on the same side. Paul is in seminary now, and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for him next!
Mike W.: Mike was my first friend in Colorado (well, other than Daniella, but that is a long, painful story). That is sort of hard to admit, because he was not only one of my students, he was about 10 years younger than me. But Mike was like a brother and a friend at once. I’d take his company over that of an adult any day. We would spend countless days goofing around outside and in. We would invent outlandish rules for indoor waffle ball, play basketball, talk about movies and music, drive all over Denver, eat anything that got in front of us, and play every dirt-ball putt-putt course we could find. To this day when I get a good anime DVD, see a cool Japanese product, a decrepit putt-putt course, or hear a good album, I say “I wish Mike was around.” The scary thing is, he and my brother got along too. Mike is the missing Smith brother. And, Mike was about the same level of sense of humor as me. We laughed at the same stuff. It pleased me to no end to hear that he too has found the joys of Kung Pow and Shaolin Soccer, without my influence. If we ever get back together, there will be no Mr. Goodcents left unvisited.
Rich W.: Mike’s brother Rich was similarly Carl-like. Mike introduced us, and we became best of friends. Rich is the one person I will probably make a future relocation decision based on his whereabouts. What’s so great about Rich? What isn’t? He was into a lot of the same stuff as me, had an edgy sense of humor, dedicated to the church, loved video games, and enjoyed movies as much (if not more) than I did. Rich, along with his roommate at the time (John), helped me to grow up, and hone my wit and humor. They gave me an audience. : ) But that trivializes the friendship we have. Rich and I connect on a certain level that is just something that doesn’t happen too often in life. We are different in a lot of ways, yet we both know where the other one is coming from. When I was the subject of what I saw as a character assassination, Rich was family to me when I needed more that a friend. When I was just looking for a place to be myself, Rich was there. And when I needed someone to eat awesome Mexican food with, Rich was there. I think Rich is the best of my “droogs.”
Horns up!
As hard as it is for me to admit, much of who I am is due to the influence of others. So who made Carl? There is the obvious scapegoat, society (aka, the times I grew up in), and the next likely source of influence would be my parents. But a person’s friends make a great deal of difference in personality and destiny. In my case, my friends probably played a larger role in making me "me" than any other influence.
I have always been very reliant on my friends, and as little as I tend to like masses of people, I love interacting with individuals. The lowest points of my life have all been when I had the least friends about me, and the thing that has kept me going is the times when I either reconnected with an old friend, or made a new one.
So rather than focus on one anecdote, I want to tell a few short stories about things that I have experienced with my friends… and maybe give you all a who’s who list of the people that helped build Carl. This isn’t everyone, just those that are easier to write about. I didn't write about Sandy, because that is way to complicated for ths post. And I didn’t write about my brother, because you can read his blog and the papers if you want to know about him. :) All you need to know is "proof of cricketing."
Steve G.: a neighbor, classmate, and a kid that valued imagination as much as I did. He also seemed to have the coolest kid stuff. He had a ton of Star Wars toys, an Atari, a TV with access to MTV, a pool, a VCR (Beta, but it was still a VCR), and a ton of Dungeons and Dragons supplies. Steve had a knack of being up for about anything. We were constantly playing war, waffle-ball, Nintendo, or some sort of role playing game. I spent every day playing with Steve from 2nd grade to early high school.
Mark T.: perhaps the richest kid in our gang. He was equally cool, and very smart to boot. He was talented at sports, and sort of introduced a lot of physical activity to us all. His mom was German, and sort of liberal, so I also had a lot of access to R movies and such. I saw my first movie-boobs at his house one Friday (it was on the movie “Private School”). It was cool to learn about Germany (to which he had visited a few times… lucky!), and to find at any early age that the USA is not the only country in the world. When Mark got his car, things really took off for us all. Mark also had a killer sense of humor, and a lot of my sense of comedy probably comes from the constant joking around our group was involved in.
Kevin T.: As we grew into teens, I started hanging out with Kevin (or Kev-bo). He was into hunting, fishing, hockey, baseball, and Nintendo. And he was the first in our group to have an exaggerated sense of testosterone driven ego… which was a lot of fun. Kevin made the rest of us make “scammin’ on chicks” a priority. Plus, he was way into Def Leppard, which rocked. When things turned “churchy” late in high school, Kevin was a willing participant in youth groups and summer camps, which made some miserable times pretty cool.
Matt B.: Matt and I were best friends in high school, and continued to be close in college. We had a two-man gang that ruled FCC, Foodland, NCC, and low areas of Kanesville. We ate and drank ourselves stupid, listening to Steve Miller, King’s X, and Swirling Eddies. We played softball and basketball anywhere we could, and fancied ourselves to be rock stars in the making. We were together for a lot of crazy times, and there was a long stretch of time when we didn’t go a day without doing something together. And, we both had a cynical view on life that made for some interesting fun. Tooling around CB in the souped up Falcon, or hauling our way down 275 in the Maverick were the best of times. Matt even introduced me to Sandy. Matt returned to CB, and is even the children’s minister at my church now… but we just have never found a way to reconnect. I miss those days a lot.
Nate P.: Meeting Nate and college probably saved my sanity. He was at once dedicated to Christianity, but also had a zeal for the fun things in life. He too liked Nintendo, movies, Monty Python, U2, and eventually, Ren and Stimpy. I tried to explain Nate to a pharmacist friend of mine, and she said “it must be cool to have a friend who gets so excited about things.” And that pretty well described Nate. Our tastes may not always be similar, but when they match, it is nice to have a friend who can appreciate every little detail to an obsessive level. Nate is one of my few friends that can appreciate a movie on several levels, and at the same time be able to set aside what is going on superficially. Nate is best described by one word, “fun.” If I had two, they would be “pickle bus.”
Carlin S.: Carlin, like Nate, helped me through NCC. I have a hard time putting into words what our friendship is like, but without her, a lot of my college experience would have been pretty drab. Carlin was the first person I met in Norfolk, a year before I started college. She was huge in helping me refine my tastes in music, movies, and subculture. She never laughed at me (to my face) for the open flannel shirt and torn jeans, and she was a willing cohort on any concert trip to Omaha. I can remember the day when I thought I would never see her again; we dropped her off at some strange guy’s house in Omaha so she could hitch a ride to TX for a concert! She was just out there like that. And it was fun to be around her. She was witty, creative, and well read (which is about a billion times more than I can say for anyone who has been home-schooled). I will say that Carlin is one of those terminally cool people who can’t help but be hip, but I wouldn’t say that she is one of these shallow people who is forever chasing after being up with the sub-culture Jones’. And, like most of my friends who are great (if not quirky) people, life still owes her a break or two. Carlin is definitely a part of the Carl mythos, and our friendship is just too hard to put into words.
Paul S.: Paul is my intellectual rock. Getting to know Paul changed my NCC experience in a meaningful way; he got me to use my natural critical thinking and focus on higher purposes. Not that he wasn’t about fun either (we talked about Star Wars like every day), but what I cherish most is his intellect. Of all of my NCC friends, it was hardest to adjust to life “outside” without him around. Along with Paul, I started the Bubblegoose years ago as an email newsletter. Since, he has grown into an amazing writer and excellent preacher. His blog (Paul’s Ponderings) is a fantastic resource for those looking for a little pick me up when it comes to faith. And above all, Paul is an honest Christian. I do not think that there are many of those out there. He is honest with himself and others about questions, strengths, and weaknesses of the faith. While he comes from a strong Christian family, to me he is perhaps the one person I most fell has developed a personal relationship with God on his own. Not that others I know haven’t, but Paul has sound theology, a science-like approach to faith, and an inspired insight to the Gospels. He will be a great teacher and writer on faith matters. And it stinks that we aren’t closer. Oh, and no one can defeat us at Axis and Allies when we are on the same side. Paul is in seminary now, and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for him next!
Mike W.: Mike was my first friend in Colorado (well, other than Daniella, but that is a long, painful story). That is sort of hard to admit, because he was not only one of my students, he was about 10 years younger than me. But Mike was like a brother and a friend at once. I’d take his company over that of an adult any day. We would spend countless days goofing around outside and in. We would invent outlandish rules for indoor waffle ball, play basketball, talk about movies and music, drive all over Denver, eat anything that got in front of us, and play every dirt-ball putt-putt course we could find. To this day when I get a good anime DVD, see a cool Japanese product, a decrepit putt-putt course, or hear a good album, I say “I wish Mike was around.” The scary thing is, he and my brother got along too. Mike is the missing Smith brother. And, Mike was about the same level of sense of humor as me. We laughed at the same stuff. It pleased me to no end to hear that he too has found the joys of Kung Pow and Shaolin Soccer, without my influence. If we ever get back together, there will be no Mr. Goodcents left unvisited.
Rich W.: Mike’s brother Rich was similarly Carl-like. Mike introduced us, and we became best of friends. Rich is the one person I will probably make a future relocation decision based on his whereabouts. What’s so great about Rich? What isn’t? He was into a lot of the same stuff as me, had an edgy sense of humor, dedicated to the church, loved video games, and enjoyed movies as much (if not more) than I did. Rich, along with his roommate at the time (John), helped me to grow up, and hone my wit and humor. They gave me an audience. : ) But that trivializes the friendship we have. Rich and I connect on a certain level that is just something that doesn’t happen too often in life. We are different in a lot of ways, yet we both know where the other one is coming from. When I was the subject of what I saw as a character assassination, Rich was family to me when I needed more that a friend. When I was just looking for a place to be myself, Rich was there. And when I needed someone to eat awesome Mexican food with, Rich was there. I think Rich is the best of my “droogs.”
Horns up!
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