My brother Leo.
1966 Mack standing in white shirt, me sitting with dark shirt!
In the fabric of life there are certain friendships that last forever. You know the kind I’m talking about, it’s the friend that no matter time or distance, you’ll never lose touch. Well I have two such friends, Leo and Mack. I met both of these guys back in the ’60’s and we’ve never lost contact. Since Leo and I live in the same borough, I’ll talk about him first. Even though we didn’t attend the same elementary school, we knew each other from the neighborhood. In high school we started playing ball together (not the same school) and that’s when we started getting close. Throughout the years Leo has been there for my family and I. He has the purest heart that I know. And as far as basketball is concerned, he was the highest jumping brother under 6 feet that I ever knew. He was also an usher in my wedding when I got married back in 1980. You know sometimes a friendship will fade and you finally lose touch with that friend. Leo and Mack are not that type. Even as we all grow and start families, certain friends, true friends will always be part of your life. Leo became a NYC Fire Fighter and was there in the World Trade Center saving lives on 9/11. He’s retired now and going through the symptoms that all responders are going through! Leo and I got together last year and rode our bikes to Harlem. Leo is about to become a deacon in his church. With both our health issues, faith is predominant in both our lives now. To God goes the glory for us being able to do this. I wrote about that day in an earlier blog. Last but not least is the fact that when you’re with Leo you’ll never be sure about what’s going to happen, but when it does happen, you’ll have the best times and laughs of your life! Now my friend Mack is a different story. We were in the same Spanish class in junior high. We were on the starting five on our high school basketball team (where I got MVP… he still says it should have been him!) We also worked together on several different jobs. We even went to those old school basement parties together back in the ’70’s. Mack and I have so many memories together. Like the Sea Scouts. (sort of like the Boy Scouts for the ghetto!) As a matter of fact, I even introduced him to his 1st wife, my cousin Pam. Even though he lives down in Maryland, we talk several times a week. Another thing we both have in common is our health. Mack, like me, is a cancer survivor. Although I am still in treatment, I am surviving this! In closing I just want to say that life and how you live it is most important if you want to be happy. You can choose happiness! Peace and blessings! (I didn’t forget you Wayne!)