Parasitic Aliens Helped Me Find My Best Friend
Tennis. X-Men. The Brood.
One of these things is not like the other. Actually, all of these things are nothing like each other which is why it’s a little weird how all three of them came together and helped forge a friendship that’s lasted, well, 35 years!
In the summer of 1987, I returned to Harker Heights, Texas, to spend it with my grandparents. This was my second summer to spend with them. I honestly didn’t expect it to happen. I would’ve thought that my grandparents would’ve been sick of me being around for a whole summer, but they weren’t.
The previous summer had been pretty relaxed. I discovered comics and spent all of my time and any amount of money I could scrape together to buy used comics from a nearby used book store called The Book Inn. It was next to the Piggly Wiggly. My grandparents went grocery shopping, and I flipped through cardboard boxes pulling any Captain America, Green Lantern, Batman, Spider-Man, or Justice League comics I could find. None of the boxes were organized, so it was a matter of plopping down on the linoleum floor and going through the comics: one box at a time.
Now, it was a new summer, and I was already asking to go to The Book Inn. I had $5 burning a hole in my pocket. At the time, most new comics were 75¢. The Book Inn sold used comics from 10¢ to 25¢. $5 went a long way back then. I was ready to go and buy till I busted the bank.
My grandparents had different plans. While they still encouraged my new found enjoyment of reading comic books, they weren’t going to have me spend the entire summer inside reading comics or doing odd jobs and chores to earn extra allowance to go buy comics. Instead, they wanted to make sure I got plenty of time inside and outside. To that end, I would be taking tennis lessons at Sun Meadows Country Club in Harker Heights.
Um, tennis!?! I’ve never been sure how they landed on tennis. I don’t remember being asked, “Hey, do you want to take tennis lessons?” Maybe they did ask. Maybe I did say, “Yes.” I honestly don’t remember, but it’s strange. I don’t recall ever expressing an interest in tennis, or watching tennis on television, or even owning a tennis racquet. My family had a bunch of tennis balls around the house for playing catch and fetch with the dog, but we never used them for their intended purpose - to be used in a tennis match.
I was unable to come up with a reason why I shouldn’t take tennis lessons, so I started my tennis journey at 7:30am on the first official day of Summer Vacation. I didn’t have the heart to tell my grandparents that this was not the way summer break is supposed to work. I’m supposed to be sleeping late, staying up later, and lounging around for the next couple of months. Instead, I was standing outside the country club waiting for it to open, with a Dunlop tennis racket in one hand and my grandfather’s Igloo water bottle in the other. On the inside of the tennis racket sleeve, I had placed a copy of Uncanny X-Men #234.
While I waited for the lesson to start, I unzipped the sleeve and took out the comic. I figured there was a few minutes before the lessons started. I didn’t know any of the other kids milling around, and I was way too shy to just walk up to someone and start talking to them. Instead, I buried my face in a comic and tried to shrink away.
“Wolverine’s my favorite superhero,” a voice said.
“Huh?” I replied looking up from my comic.
A tall, lanky kid stood there. He pointed at the comic in my hand, “Wolverine’s my favorite.”
“Yeah. Mine too,” I said.
“I’m David,” the kid said. “So, you like comics…”
And that’s all it took. Good timing. Being in the right place at the right time, and a copy of Uncanny X-Men #234, helped me find my best friend for the last 30 some odd years. And, my friendship with David introduced me to a whole new host of people who I’ve had the privilege to share in their journey: Keith, Michael, Mike, Todd, Christy, Kelly E., Kelly C., Gabe, Shannon, Scott, Herb, Brian, Gigi, Jessica, Chris, Daniel, and Russ. Thanks for letting me tag along on your ride. It’s been a blast.
Also, through them, I got to meet and befriend one the greatest person on the planet Kelly Pack Powell...but that's another story for another blog.
See? Comics? Am I right?
 |
|
 |
One of these things is not like the other. Actually, all of these things are nothing like each other which is why it’s a little weird how all three of them came together and helped forge a friendship that’s lasted, well, 35 years!
In the summer of 1987, I returned to Harker Heights, Texas, to spend it with my grandparents. This was my second summer to spend with them. I honestly didn’t expect it to happen. I would’ve thought that my grandparents would’ve been sick of me being around for a whole summer, but they weren’t.
The previous summer had been pretty relaxed. I discovered comics and spent all of my time and any amount of money I could scrape together to buy used comics from a nearby used book store called The Book Inn. It was next to the Piggly Wiggly. My grandparents went grocery shopping, and I flipped through cardboard boxes pulling any Captain America, Green Lantern, Batman, Spider-Man, or Justice League comics I could find. None of the boxes were organized, so it was a matter of plopping down on the linoleum floor and going through the comics: one box at a time.
Now, it was a new summer, and I was already asking to go to The Book Inn. I had $5 burning a hole in my pocket. At the time, most new comics were 75¢. The Book Inn sold used comics from 10¢ to 25¢. $5 went a long way back then. I was ready to go and buy till I busted the bank.
My grandparents had different plans. While they still encouraged my new found enjoyment of reading comic books, they weren’t going to have me spend the entire summer inside reading comics or doing odd jobs and chores to earn extra allowance to go buy comics. Instead, they wanted to make sure I got plenty of time inside and outside. To that end, I would be taking tennis lessons at Sun Meadows Country Club in Harker Heights.
Um, tennis!?! I’ve never been sure how they landed on tennis. I don’t remember being asked, “Hey, do you want to take tennis lessons?” Maybe they did ask. Maybe I did say, “Yes.” I honestly don’t remember, but it’s strange. I don’t recall ever expressing an interest in tennis, or watching tennis on television, or even owning a tennis racquet. My family had a bunch of tennis balls around the house for playing catch and fetch with the dog, but we never used them for their intended purpose - to be used in a tennis match.
I was unable to come up with a reason why I shouldn’t take tennis lessons, so I started my tennis journey at 7:30am on the first official day of Summer Vacation. I didn’t have the heart to tell my grandparents that this was not the way summer break is supposed to work. I’m supposed to be sleeping late, staying up later, and lounging around for the next couple of months. Instead, I was standing outside the country club waiting for it to open, with a Dunlop tennis racket in one hand and my grandfather’s Igloo water bottle in the other. On the inside of the tennis racket sleeve, I had placed a copy of Uncanny X-Men #234.
While I waited for the lesson to start, I unzipped the sleeve and took out the comic. I figured there was a few minutes before the lessons started. I didn’t know any of the other kids milling around, and I was way too shy to just walk up to someone and start talking to them. Instead, I buried my face in a comic and tried to shrink away.
“Wolverine’s my favorite superhero,” a voice said.
“Huh?” I replied looking up from my comic.
A tall, lanky kid stood there. He pointed at the comic in my hand, “Wolverine’s my favorite.”
“Yeah. Mine too,” I said.
“I’m David,” the kid said. “So, you like comics…”
And that’s all it took. Good timing. Being in the right place at the right time, and a copy of Uncanny X-Men #234, helped me find my best friend for the last 30 some odd years. And, my friendship with David introduced me to a whole new host of people who I’ve had the privilege to share in their journey: Keith, Michael, Mike, Todd, Christy, Kelly E., Kelly C., Gabe, Shannon, Scott, Herb, Brian, Gigi, Jessica, Chris, Daniel, and Russ. Thanks for letting me tag along on your ride. It’s been a blast.
Also, through them, I got to meet and befriend one the greatest person on the planet Kelly Pack Powell...but that's another story for another blog.
See? Comics? Am I right?