Thursday, June 8, 2006

OUTER LIMITS OF CONSCIOUSNESS SOUP

Have you ever had one of those moments when the mind is not engaged in thinking, or planning, or talking. Just a pleasant nothingness and then like a tiny explosion, a memory or a place or a long forgotten person just materializes on the Main Screen of your consciousness?

On the ride home this afternoon, prompted by absolutely nothing I can put a finger on, I remembered a friend from years ago, a life time ago.

Maybe it was the chicken breasts I purchased. Maybe it is the cloak of the wedding that I am wearing every day, all day. Like a tiny ball circling around looking for a hole to fall through, I suddenly had a mental picture of Dr. Mark.

I have not thought of Mark in a very long time. We met over 20 years ago, when Bridget was just a tyke and we were living on the top apartment of an old Victorian House in The Highland Area of Louisville. Our landlord lived below us. He had received a summer job of teaching high school students at the Governors Cup (?) Scholarship program at Murray State University. (small world). He had the idea that he would rent out his apartment for the summer months.

And that was how Mark came into our lives.

Mark was engaged to a girl back home. He had recently completed his internship at U0fL for his MD in internal medicine. He had traded his student loans for working several years at a clinic across the river in Indiana. (kind of like the program Northern Exposure, except it was warmer).

Cathy and I were still roommates. The absent land lord had put in an above ground pool the year before. Part of Mark's "landlord" duties was to keep the pool clean. And to have a pool party every night!

The entrance to our apartment on the second floor was next to the bottom front door. Mark would open the door and yell upstairs, "Who's cooking dinner tonight??!!"

Our favorite was bar-b-que chicken cooked over the tiny hibachi. And fresh corn on the cob. Followed by beer and a swim in the pool.

When Cathy and I had our falling out and Mark had to find other lodging accommodations due to the impending return of the land lord, I ended up with Mark as a part of the break up of the Mary and Cathy show.

He helped my brother and myself move me to another area of Louisville, Hikes Point. We remained good friends and companions for the remainder of his tenure in Louisville before returning home and marrying his girl friend.

We went to ball games together. We hung out together.We watched tv together and we wrapped Christmas presents together. He went to Oaks with me and Faye...he was the first to clue me in on what I was already suspecting, Faye was on her way to alcoholism.....

Then he moved home to Northern Kentucky, got married and we lost touch.

He was a good friend. He once shook his head at me struggling with Bridget and laughed. "Wait till she is a teenage, she will KILL you."

I'd love to share with him that I survived and that she is about to get married.

I wonder what he looks like now? 20 years ago he was tan, blonde and had an overbite and a way of standing ( I see him in my minds eye now) with his hands on his hips and his head forward and his mouth slightly open.

I bet I could find him....now that Cathy and I are reunited and she has special access to secret non-published data bases.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

You can probably just google him and find him yourself!

xoxo

Anonymous said...

Mary, What year was this?   Just curious.   Anne

Anonymous said...

Corners of our minds! Yes, you can find him if you try! and you will enjoy the reunion... if you do! Old friends are like good shoes, you hate to throw them away.
Tess

Anonymous said...

It's not what you know it's who you know and the databases they have access to. :)

Anonymous said...

I think you should look for him!  And invite him to the wedding!  Jae

Anonymous said...

Funny how those memories come back like they happened yesterday.  They say that's a sign of getting old...!

Might be fun to try to look him up.

Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

or at the very least, the AMA website. You can look up any doctor's credentials and hospital affiliations.

Anonymous said...

memories are great like that. He sure sounded like a good friend.

Anonymous said...

     Funny. I've been thinking about old friends lately....
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay

Anonymous said...

Oh, you must find him.  It's great fun renewing old friendships.
Dawn             http://journals.aol.com/adlessor/ACoupleofNomads/
   

Anonymous said...

An interesting story and told so well through your writing.    He should be pleasantly surprized should you finally get in touch with him.     mark

Anonymous said...

Oh, for crying out loud...GOOGLE HIM!

I'll bet he'd be delighted to hear from you.