Old Friends

The past two weekends brought welcome visits with some old friends from out of town. The time we spent together was wonderful but far too short in duration. Unfortunately, both visits were the result of sad circumstances which brought each of our friends back to this area. Rick Hall and his mother, Lavinia "Beanie" Hall Smith live in Jackson, Tennessee. The incident that brought them back was the serious illness of another old friend, Tommy Hughes. Jim (Buzzy) Salyer returned from the Chicago area to meet his mother and sister for the burial of his grandmother. Linda and I are so thankful that they cared enough to come visit us, while in the area. Both visits were special.

It was 1955 when Rick and his family moved to the Huntington area from rural west Tennessee. Our families became acquainted through a mutual friend who had been an old Army buddy of Rick's dad, Walter. When he landed a job at Kerr Glass Company, Walter and his family settled into a little rented apartment in the west end of Huntington. At the invitation of my dad, the Hall family began to attend our church. Soon Walter and Beanie and my mother and father became close friends. Eventually the Hall family moved to the same street where we lived and we were close friends and neighbors until they moved back to Tennessee in 1968.

I was only five years old and Rick was seven at the time our families became acquainted. He was the closest thing to a big brother that I ever had. As we grew up together we shared in many "adventures" and did all the things brothers do. Some of my happiest memories surround times that I shared with Rick at church and school activities, and in the old neighborhood. He led, I followed and sometimes the path led to trouble (but I won't go into that here). I really looked up to him, and I guess I felt a little alone, when he and Kay Hampton married.

When Rick decided a few weeks ago to come visit Tommy Hughes, who is suffering from an inoperable brain tumor in Princeton, WV; he asked his mom to come with him. Beanie stayed Friday night with Mom and Dad while Rick went on to Princeton. When he returned on Saturday, we all got together at our house for a cookout. Rick and Beanie spent Saturday night with us before heading back to Jackson on Sunday morning. Beanie went to bed early but Rick and Linda and I sat up until 1:00 AM talking about old times. When he mentioned that his son, Scott was now 40 years old it really hit me hard. Where have all the years gone?

The next weekend we were blessed to see Buz Salyer. His visit was much more brief but just as special. Officially, he is James Nathan Salyer III, but he'll always be "Buzzy" to me. Buz grew up just up the hill from us on Midvale Drive, and was about a year younger than I. The tall skinny kid was a good friend of my "step cousin"' Charlie Watrous, who also lived in our neighborhood. Buz and I went through Gallaher Elementary, Beverly Hills Jr. High, and Huntington East High schools as casual acquaintances. His mother was my English teacher my senior year in High School. He eventually married Amy Richards, a pretty girl who also lived in our neighborhood. I lost touch of what had ever happened to them until our paths crossed again in 1978 at an Oldsmobile dealership in Ashland, Kentucky.

Buz appeared at Seenbergen Oldsmobile one day to interview for the Finance and Insurance Manager's position. I was a salesman there, and recognized him immediately. He had a little less hair than I had remembered, but he was unmistakably Buzzy. He was selected for the position and we immediately became close friends as well as co-workers. I can't begin to tell you of the fun we had working with that crew of characters at Steenbergen's. Our friendship was cemented for a lifetime.

We eventually took different career paths. I went into the insurance business. Buz moved on, initially as a loan officer with a local bank and then with other financial institutions that eventually led he and Amy to Chicagoland. Over the years we have seen each other on occasion and have stayed in touch via email. In recent years he and Amy have been wonderful partners with us in support of our church mission work in the Philippines. Amy has gone through some serious health issues in the past few years but has always maintained that cheerful spirit that is just - well - Amy. Their generous financial support has helped two Filipino pastors accomplish much that would not have been possible without their help.

Buz emailed me that he would be in Huntington on Saturday and leaving on Sunday and said he would like to come to hear me preach and have dinner after church. I was thrilled. It so happened that our church was having a fellowship dinner that Sunday, so we were able to do both right there in one place. It was great to see him again, to talk about old times and to catch up on each other's families. Our visit together was brief, but so special and another opportunity to cherish.

Friends are better than riches - and old friends are the best of all. I don't know when I will ever see Rick or Buz again, but I do know that this was not the last time. You see, both of them are old friends, but more importantly, they are my brothers in Christ. It may be a while before the reunion comes but, thanks to Jesus, we will have eternity to spend together.