You Can Pick Your Friends, but You Can't Pick Your Friend's Noses!

As I mentioned in a previous post I have been fortunate to have a close, good set of friends my entire life. From the time I moved into my childhood home I have been friends with:

• Scott
• Dallon
• Carr
• Kyle

Those are the four friends that I have had the longest. Not the only friends, but the ones forming my earliest memories and with whom I am still close. There were others from way back when (Ike, Robert, Tom, Becky) but I don't know where they are or what they are up to.

Between second and third grade we added Nate to the mix. I remember the first time playing with Nate was flying kites at Morningside--Nate, Ryan and I. It was Ryan's mom's idea to bring the new kid along. Man he had white hair--still does. I went through pair of socks after pair of socks playing in Nate's unfinished basement. My mom almost seemed to beg me to play in my barefeet--never did.

Richard moved in in the middle of the third grade. Once again he was quickly part of the group. It was a natural fit since we were all in the same ward--Holladay 19th. The thing I remember most about meeting him was that golden hair. Never seemed to play with him much,however, as he always seemed to be swimming. My fondest recollection of Richard happened before he even moved in, so it is more a memory of the house he lived in--you guys know what I am talking about.

We were a motley crew growing up. Always seemed to find something to do. We were a tight group of friends. Did a lot together. Then Junior High hit. I probably wouldn't have been so bad were it not for them splitting our ward in two. Those going to Churchill were in one ward, those going to Wasatch in the other (for the most part). I remember sitting on Ferris's lawn after church dejected and downtrodden over the news. We were all pretty mad at it all.

For three years, there was little contact between the two halves. We got back together, so to speak, when we all ended up at Skyline, but it wasn't completely the same. We were together, but parts of us were in different social constructs, and thus our interaction was limited. Most of us hung out together. But like I said...different social groups. Once we graduated, we all kind of scattered, but we still had links.

The mom network did a good job of keeping us informed about what was going on in each others lives, as well all tried to establish ourselves. We all went on missions, we all married in an LDS temple, and we all now have kids. We try to get together every summer and at Christmas, and for the most part everyone makes it. Nate has missed out on the last several, but here's hoping he makes it to the next. Dallon lives in Northern (cold) Wyoming; Kyle, California; Ryan, Rich and Nate, Salt Lake; Scott and I, Utah County. All are doing well, all seem happy.

In looking back on my childhood, there were some rough patches. Difficulties that didn't need to be there. But on the whole, they were good times--times I wouldn't trade for the world. So wherever you are gents, raise a glass of your favorite rootbeer (Barq's isn't rootbeer) and toast one to the memories. They made us who we are. Thanks.