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David Mitchell
On a serious note;
John Hickey was a classmate for - I think - two years and then left Watterson. I had an interesting discussion with Kevin Cull either at our 50th, or one of those follow-up parties about John. For whatever reason, John Hickey did not like me - AT ALL! He carried a real nasty chip on hs shoulder. He was often getting in my face and accusing me of something, and therefore and wanting a piece of me. (and he was a good 6 inches shorter than I was, so I could never dare to challenge him). We had an especially harsh moment just minutes after after President Kennedy was shot while we were in Gym class. We were down in the locker room changing quickly to get back to our homerooms (as per "Mouse's" instructions following the shooting announcement), and he made a really disgusting accusation of me that really hurt and enraged me. A couple guys had to hold me back for a moment. And I was not the type to start a fight - almost never.
Years later, at our 50th, as I was discovering a really enjoyable "new" friendship with Kevin Cull (a really cool guy - surprise! - with much in common - but I didn't know it back then). I shared a reason why Kevin and I were never very good friends back in school.
Everywhere Kevin went, he had John Hickey and Pat McGreevy at his side. I didn't dislike McGreevy but it was hard to put up with his constant gum flapping - he never knew how to shut up. And Hickey with his attitude. It was enough to prevent any meaningfull friendship with Kevin. Recently, Kevin and I have had some really intersting conversation about this. I don't think he has seen Hickey in years but I think he had gone off to be a biker and moved around. There may be more, but Kevin and I got off onto other more interesting topics.
* Kevin and I shared one of the most rewarding emotional moments of my adult life at the end of the evening at our 50th. It may be worth a seperate story sometime later.
Speaking of Pat, when Mary and I moved back to Columbus, I met up with him a few times. He was doing lobby work at the state house, and some real estate appraisal part time. He found me in the office of W. Lyman Case (commercial) Realtors, on 4th and Broad, where I worked for a short time. We bumped into one another a few times after that and did a couple lunches.
I still laugh at this one story. Pat and I were riding the elevator together at the "Darth Vadar" building (that big newer Franklin County building on South High - with the dark glass - about 30 stories - with a really good cafeteria on about the 14th floor). We get on the elevator headed to the same floor (the Clerk and Recordrer's office), and a local real estate entreprenuer by the name of Mel Nowell (yes, that Mel Nowell) is in the elevator with us. Pat knew him (of course) from some prior real estate work and introduced me to him. And he was going to the same floor we are.
Anyway, the elevator stops at the 19 (our floor) and the door opens. Pat is in the midst of another long winded diatribe about something, and he stood there poking his finger in my chest (I hate that) and kept on going while everybody but us got off and the door closed on us. We headed to a higher floor and had to come back down.
It's my best guess that Pat has cornered St. Peter somwhere just inside the pearly gates and hasn't stopped talking since he got there.
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Tim and Jeanine. Who knew?!
