Friends

“We’ve been friends now for so many years
We’ve been together through the good times and the tears
Turned each other on to the good things that life has to give
We drift apart for a little bit of a spell
One night I get a call and I know that you’re well
And days I was down you would help me get out of my hole”

• Friends, by the Beach Boys (1968)

A blog on my life would not be complete without a mention of Steve “Boogie” Wilson. We’ve been great friends for 53 years. He had a bit of a health scare a few months ago, and with baseball season just around the corner, I figured it’s a good time to give a shout out to the Phillies’ biggest fan.

Steve and I met at the church where I grew up. He was 20 years old at the time, and I was 15. There were not many 20-year-olds in the church, so he ended up hanging out with us younger kids. He was so cool back then- he opted not to go to college, so he was working and making money. He had a sporty car, long hair, groovy clothes, and an incredible record collection. The only one in our group with a driver’s license, he became our Uber driver of the day- wherever the gang went, we’d pile into Steve’s car (what are seatbelts?) and he would drive us wherever we needed to go. And whenever anyone had a birthday, they were certain to get an album as a gift from Steve. In spite of his age and long hair, my conservative parents loved Steve- he was very polite, and didn’t drink or take drugs. I remember him calling my father “sir” initially, but my parents eventually became “mom and dad” to him over the years.

We continued to hang out as we got older, going to plenty of baseball games and concerts. We went on more than a few double dates. Eventually we were in each other’s weddings (although my marriage has lasted several decades more than his did). I remember Steve surprising us at our wedding reception with a pizza delivery singing telegram. Steve was a great Best Man- our wedding was a blast.

The years flew by. Steve lost his hair before me, which made it easier for me to accept losing my hair when the time came. We didn’t see each other quite as much when my kids were young and my work kept me busy, but we still stayed in touch and got to hang out a bit more when my kids got older. I threw a surprise party for him for his 50th birthday, which was a lot of fun, as we reunited with several of our childhood friends. I spent a year preparing for his birthday- I bought about 50 birthday cards and sent them with self-addressed return envelopes to dozens of famous people- (mainly baseball players, movie stars and musicians), asking them to sign birthday cards for Steve’s birthday. I could not believe how many I got back. I wish I could remember them all, but I got dozens of birthday cards for Steve from people like Robert Englund (“Freddy Krueger” in a Nightmare on Elm Street), Phillies broadcaster Harry Kallas, Phil Collins of Genesis and Beatles producer George Martin, to name a few.

For Steve’s 60th Birthday, we went on his first trip abroad. Steve and I flew to London, where we saw Bruce Springsteen at the Hard Rock Calling Festival in Hyde Park (where Paul McCartney joined Bruce for the encore, before they eventually turned off the power for going over curfew). We also went to Liverpool to see all the Beatles sights, including the Casbah Club as well as the Cavern Club. it was the trip of a lifetime- we had a blast.

Of course over the years Steve has continued to shower me with gifts for birthdays and Christmas. At this point in my life I really don’t need any more gifts, but Steve always comes up with a surprise for me of one sort or another. Just one example was when I drove up to my house on my 64th birthday and found this sign waiting for me on my front lawn:

For Steve’s 70th, we took some mini-trips and saw Paul McCartney in New York and Ringo Starr in Maryland. Steve is a huge Beatles fan- His house is a museum of Beatles memorabilia, from top to bottom. It was great to see these old guys one more time, performing the songs we grew up. it was another great birthday celebration.

In addition to Beatles memorabilia, Steve’s home is also a mini-Phillies museum. Steve is a lifelong Phillies fan, and we’ve gone to more games together than I can count. Every year Steve gets together huge groups for several games. He’s been getting 100 tickets for opening day each year for as long as I can remember. He also gets group tickets for bobble head nights, fireworks, and other special promotions. Needless to say, the Phillies love Steve. He has “a guy” in ticket sales that usually stops by to say hello. Steve’s been on the field on a few occasions. Once I was excited to join him on the field on opening day as we greeted the players parading onto the field. As much as I love baseball, Steve and I are very different in that I am admittedly a fair-weather fan, losing interest when the team stinks. But Steve is with them every game every year, win or lose. He always teases me about “jumping on the bandwagon”, and I’m guilty as charged. But we always have a fun time at the games.

It’s hard to believe this year Steve will be 73 and I’ll be 68. Where did the years go? We’re both getting to the point where we’ve had to deal with various health issues and have seen many friends and loved ones pass on. But we’re still hanging in there, rocking and rolling. I’m looking forward to yet another Phillies opening day with Steve in a few days, keeping the tradition alive. Then I’ll be trying to figure out what other Beatles or Phillies memorabilia to get him for his birthday that will actually fit on one of his walls.

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