My mother, who is going on 94, had to have a biopsy done on her breast a week or so ago. My brother and I went to the hospital with her and while the procedure was being done we waited in the waiting room. Duh?
There was a guy setting next to me and I paid him little mind. He was a tall guy, a bit stooped over with a scraggly beard that hung to his bulging belly. Really rough looking.
A few minutes later a couple guys came in and said something to him and I seemed to recognize one of them. I didn't know from where but somewhere. I asked the guy setting next to me what the guys name was, after the two had walked out and he told me. I said dang that sounded fimillar and asked where he worked. The guy next to me said Truck and Bus in Pontiac. I told him that was where I worked too.
I asked what he did and he told me that he was an electrician. I told the guy that that must be it because I was an electrician too. Then the guys said, "Did you know Royal Ottmar?" I looked at him and asked, Who?
I said, "Hell yes I did! I am Royal Ottmar!? He looked at me and said, "Don't you know who I am?" I said hell no. He said Jim Van ! I dang near crapped as I had not seen him since about 1971. We both worked at Fisher Body in Pontiac as did his brother Neil who was the second guy that had come in.
The amazing thing is, we went to school together and skipped school together and were best buddies from the age of about 8 to 17 when I went in the Marines and the year later he went into the Air Force. I absolutely would have never known who he was in a million years. He went different ways than I did. He was absolutely one of the best friends I ever had in school.
He was a gifted artist and had a genius IQ. They sent him to Ann Arbor to have him tested because they thought he was a retard, as they did me because we both would not go to school, this was after my dad had died and got straight 'E's"
After Jim walked out of the room I asked his sister in law what Jim did now days and she was at a loss. She just shrugged and said he read a lot. I asked about his art and she said she never knew he had any artistic ability. Just amazing the road the guy went down. I lost contact with him years ago as he was into drugs and such and it really seemed to have effected him now. Dang shame.
He was not in the room when my mother was brought down and we left without seeing him again. Couple old friends passing in the fog I guess. We just have nothing in common now but we did have a great childhood of running the woods and fields and developing a love for nature and life.
There was a guy setting next to me and I paid him little mind. He was a tall guy, a bit stooped over with a scraggly beard that hung to his bulging belly. Really rough looking.
A few minutes later a couple guys came in and said something to him and I seemed to recognize one of them. I didn't know from where but somewhere. I asked the guy setting next to me what the guys name was, after the two had walked out and he told me. I said dang that sounded fimillar and asked where he worked. The guy next to me said Truck and Bus in Pontiac. I told him that was where I worked too.
I asked what he did and he told me that he was an electrician. I told the guy that that must be it because I was an electrician too. Then the guys said, "Did you know Royal Ottmar?" I looked at him and asked, Who?
I said, "Hell yes I did! I am Royal Ottmar!? He looked at me and said, "Don't you know who I am?" I said hell no. He said Jim Van ! I dang near crapped as I had not seen him since about 1971. We both worked at Fisher Body in Pontiac as did his brother Neil who was the second guy that had come in.The amazing thing is, we went to school together and skipped school together and were best buddies from the age of about 8 to 17 when I went in the Marines and the year later he went into the Air Force. I absolutely would have never known who he was in a million years. He went different ways than I did. He was absolutely one of the best friends I ever had in school.
He was a gifted artist and had a genius IQ. They sent him to Ann Arbor to have him tested because they thought he was a retard, as they did me because we both would not go to school, this was after my dad had died and got straight 'E's"
After Jim walked out of the room I asked his sister in law what Jim did now days and she was at a loss. She just shrugged and said he read a lot. I asked about his art and she said she never knew he had any artistic ability. Just amazing the road the guy went down. I lost contact with him years ago as he was into drugs and such and it really seemed to have effected him now. Dang shame.
He was not in the room when my mother was brought down and we left without seeing him again. Couple old friends passing in the fog I guess. We just have nothing in common now but we did have a great childhood of running the woods and fields and developing a love for nature and life.
