I am posting this from his FB page. He had a rough time growing up.
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This morning I’m thinking of family.
My cousin, Billy lived across the yard. We fought hard and played hard; he was a year older. He came from a two income. two child home – I came from a one income, six child home. Our realities were different.
In grade school we rode the bus (yes, alone) on Saturdays downtown (before there was a mall) to take in a movie, shoot pool at the Y, roam the stores, especially McCord’s Candy and Weber’s Hobby Shop. We left at 8 am and were told to be home by 5 pm.
I was more adventurous and delinquency was my middle name. I roamed the alleys, stole pop bottles from the back of stores and went around front to redeem them for money for sodas and comic books. Billy had an allowance; I did not. He was too afraid to steal and I found it too useful to not steal.
Several train tracks ran through downtown Lafayette – the Monon Railroad ran down the middle of 5th Street. We were at the Coney Island hot dog shop at 5th & Columbia and I convinced Billy it was quicker and cooler to grab and hold on to the caboose and to ride a couple blocks to Mulhaupt’s Schwinn bicycle shop. The train picked up speed and we thought it was going too fast to hop off and ended up in the train yard on the north end of town. We ran along the tracks back downtown, caught the bus and got home late.
I told my lie and took my beating (being late accepted not excuses) – I don’t know what Billy did, but he never went downtown with me again.
Billy died a couple years ago of Agent Orange induced Parkinson’s from his time in Vietnam. He lived alone in New Haven advocating for disabled vets. We would talk every so often on the phone, because he could no longer type or text.
This morning I wanted to talk with him about the election and his hopes for change. I miss his laughter, the way he always called me Albert (not Al), his kindness, his belief in giving back, his fierce independence and his progressive politics.
11-8-26
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