Friday, February 11, 2011

Memories of a Friend

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/toledoblade/obituary.aspx?n=james-lewis-schueler&pid=148156860
 Sometimes things happen and you just can't find a way to make sense of it..because there is no sense to it.I have realized we all walk around our daily lives thinking things happen to other people never us. It is true....there are probably some of you reading this who have never been sick a day in your lives...let me tell you don't take it for granted. The same goes for people who have been in your life and you always planned on getting back in touch with.I grew up in the summers on an island in Michigan. there were 2 girls and 10 boys between our 4 houses. The times we had and the things we did were right out of Huckleberry Finn. Right down to painting the dock and finding the drunks at night under the big spruce trees on the back of our property. The freighters went by endlessly, we fished everyday, climbed trees....and fell out..a lot and never broke anything. We camped outside with the skunks, played Canasta, Rummy and every summer had movie night....with a projector and family movies of water skiing, badminton, somersaults off the dock and taking baths in the river with the Ivory soap hidden under the raft...(it floats). At night we played endless games of Chase where the older kids would run after the younger ones who tried to get to the safety spots....and there was worm hunting  for the next days perch fishing. Endless days of touch football, lawn mowing and going to the mainland for movies at Seaway Drive-in or a day of horseback riding at Chartiers Stable. We spent days in the wetlands behind our cottages making paths and just looking. The leader in most of this was the oldest...Jimmy. He was so funny, a little crazy and smart. He always looked after me, gave me the Archie comic first and let me go when he caught me playing chase, He was 10 years older but always...always had time for us. Jimmy grew up and married a beautiful, kind and spectacular girl..Katie who was waaaaay pregnant at my wedding. They had three talented children....My last clear memory of Jimmy is dancing with him at my wedding...always the the swirling two step waltz...faster and faster..laughing like crazy. Well time slips away people go in different directions..Christmas cards are passed between the families but......I had his Facebook page and kept meaning to get in touch but..but...but....January 27th one of his employees put a gun to his head and killed him.Why I have no clue nor does anyone else. Now I am too late. I couldn't go to the service in Ohio as I am still on 4X a day exchanges...so I wrote what I could and prayed Jimmy and I will see each other some day where time is of no importance.

Bonnie

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