This is a shot from Spring Break 1988. From top left to right: Scooter, Me, Sean, Mark, Jason, Jeff, Chris, Gary and Skippy at far bottom left.
I must add, Jim did not get the name Skippy until he was 17-18 years old but that is a story for another time.
I guess the earliest memory of us belongs to Skippy. He claims that he remembers in kindergarten me telling our teacher, “Miss Benny, I gotta go potty.” Now how he can possible remember such a trivial event is beyond me. Part of me thinks he is making it up to try and embarrass me. But since he is self-declared, sharp as a tack, he probably really does remember it. But this story is going to be told as I recall it, not him. I am sure after he reads this that some facts would be under dispute by him.
It was summer break and we were both 6 years old. I was playing in a fort I had constructed using scrap wood braced up against the back fence with a sleeping bag draped over the fence with a hole in it so I could spy on the kids in the yard behind us. This day there were a few new kids playing. A boy, and from what I could tell, his sister. I assumed that fact because only siblings would fight like they were.
After a bit the boy noticed me looking through the hole in my sleeping bag and came over to the fence. “Hey” he shouted, “I see you looking at me! What are you doing?” he asked as he stood at the fence. I was caught. I peered out and did the only decent thing I could think of. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Jim, who are you?” he responded.
“Randy.” I then asked him if he wanted to come over and check out my fort.
He jumped over the fence and proceeded to crawl into my makeshift shelter. Now being only 6 years old I was not allowed to use hammer and nails so the structure was not very sturdy. I warned him as he came in. “Just be careful and don’t hit the main board.”
No sooner did I get those words out did he brush against the board in the middle and the entire fort came crashing down on his head.
I asked him if he was okay and he was somewhat laughing and replied, “yes, I have a hard head.” Only after several decades as friends did I find out what a profound statement that was. Skippy undisputeabley has the hardest skull I have ever encountered.
I came to find out his family had just moved into the house caddy corner behind mine. And that was in fact his sister Jennifer. And man did they have a volatile relationship.
From that day on we were inseparable. And I could not ask for a better best friend. He has been there through it all. Deaths, Weddings, Births and numerous adventures that provide me with an almost endless supply of subjects for my stories.
We have had our fights but always work them out. The only regret is that we do not nearly get to see each other as much as I would like. I wish our kids knew each other better.
Now I was not the first one in The Gang to be friends with Skippy. Jason actually gets that honor. Jason and him met around age 3 and were partners in crime while being neighbors until both moved away.
It was not until Jason and I became friends through little league baseball that Skippy and him reunited through me. Were we all an easy fit and immediately became like the 3 musketeers. Jason had been friends with Wayne and brought him into the group.
During high school Skippy went to a different school than Jason and I but we all still hung out a lot.
At high school Jason started hanging around Mark, who was best friends with Sean. Mark’s brother Gary was just 2 years younger and was best friends with Scooter, a.k.a. Marvin. The 4 of them all hung out and soon the 2 groups of friends get close. It was now a group of 8.
Mark had been dating a girl but broke up soon after, however they remained good friends. At a high school dance at her school, we met her new boyfriend Mike. Mike had 2 other friends with him, Chris and Jeff. And as usual as the circumstances were, we all just seemed to click. Now we were a group of 11.
The real foundation for the relationships and the beginning point of the Gang was spring break 1988. Sean, Mark, Jason, Skippy and I’s senior summer! We built bonds that week that have lasted our entire lives.
Eventually we took on new members. Almost like a fraternity, we made them go through initiation and even called them pledges. We added in order, Scott, Ryan, Kramer, Trish (did not have to pledge officially but still earned her way in) and Kevin. Bringing us to 15 strong, but we never really stayed at 15, we lost Scott to a parental ban, and Chris to religion. Officially the gang now stands at 13.
We range quite a bit in personalities and we all live scattered about the U.S. Somehow our friendships break all the barriers. Every time we see each other it is like we never missed a beat. We love talk a lot about old times and the fun we had whenever we get the rare chance to all be together.
I am now on a jet headed for Sean’s wedding in L.A. Present will be myself, Skippy, Jason, Mark, Gary, Scooter, Jeff, Ryan, Trish, Kevin, and of course Sean. All we are missing is Kramer and Wayne. Except for Kevin and Sean, all the guys are riding solo this trip and I am sure there is going to be a story or two to be told of what holds to be an epic weekend.