Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
- Mark Twain
Magpie Tales #44
- Mark Twain
Magpie Tales #44
My First Best Friend
We lived next door to each other.
His name was Louis.
I called him Louis.
The rest of our class called him Taters.
His abdomen was huge, lumpy like a sack of taters.
We were eight years old.
He taught me to ride his bicycle,
bar and all, sometimes that hurt.
He taught me to ride and then steer his sled.
We took turns steering.
He taught me to get up and laugh when I fell off.
He taught me to ride his pony,
how to get up and laugh, with tears in my eyes because it hurt, when I fell off, backwards even, breaking my tailbone
He liked being called Louis.
He didn't like being called Taters.
I am the only one he told that.
He kissed me on the cheek when we played hide and seek and hid behind the huge shrubs on the church grounds.
He died when we were 12 years old.
He was born with a congenital defect that was never fixed.
He died from peritonitis of the intestines.
I have never forgotten him.
Wonder what those who called him Taters remember?
Go here for more Magpie Tales.
I wrote that on Wednesday of last week.
On Saturday I watched an amazing movie.
Unbelievable how the two fit together.
I recommend this movie to all music lovers, especially.
"As It Is in Heaven"
This Oscar-nominated Swedish drama tells the story of Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist), a small-town boy who escaped his tiny village to become a famous conductor. A tragic mishap sends him back home in search of a fresh start, and he ends up leading the local choir. Frida Hallgren, Helen Sjoholm and Lennart Jahkel co-star in writer-director Kay Pollak's (Children's Island, Love Me!) heartwarming tale.
Tolerance, is virtue
11 comments:
What a lovely story... and the fact that it is true makes it all the better. I'm sure your friend Louis is smiling down from heaven at this remembrance of him and your love for him that has continued on through the years. He is forever 12 in your mind... But how hard it must have been for you to say good-bye to him then...
Blessings!
Ann
moving tale.
well put.
What a lovely storyI love memories
What a moving tribute. He taught you so much and you enriched the unfairly short life of his.
Your Magpie reached a place deep inside me ...
(My first born is named Louis .. and is called just that)
Such a tender, lovely story. To have such wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing part of your special treasured memories. Cathy
Sounds like a good flick.
Bittersweet memories, QMM!
What a sweet story of you and your first best friend, Louis! You made his life better on earth by being his friend. You see, children are just as cruel as adults - I wonder why humans must be that way - to me it seems that we are pre-wired for meanness and we have to be constantly told to be good and do right and not hurt one another. That is so sad, don't you think?
A fine tribute to Louis. Touching and heartbreaking, too. I've always loved Twain's quote.
Lovely tribute to Taters. Beautiful header painting, QMM!
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