You Can't Make New Old Friends

Every One Needs a Little Tad in their Lives!

There is a quote that says, “you can’t make new old friends.”  This blog discusses the spirit of the quote and encourages all my readers to renew, strengthen, and nurture friendships made in your youth or “glory days.” 

I am sixty-six years old.  As our hairlines recede and our waistlines expand,  the occasional trip down memory lane with someone who traveled that road with you   can be just what the doctor ordered.  Laughing it up with an old friend can do wonders for your aging psyche.  Suddenly your step quickens, the sky seem bluer, or the sun looks brighter.  Time spent with a Glory Days friend can be a salve for your soul.  I am blessed to still keep in touch with friends I’ve known since High School. You know who you are and how grateful I am to have you in my life.  Thanks for putting up with all the re-telling of my stories that begin with…”do you remember when?…”

 Today, I will focus on a fellow fraternity brother of mine known as “Tad”  from the Baldwin- Wallace College chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha in the late 1970’s.  About two years ago we ran into each other at a local “watering hole.”   We were teammates on Baldwin-Wallace’s historic football teams of the 1970’s era coached by Lee Tressel and culminating in our victory at the 1978 National Championship game.  Tad is not his real name, but a nickname bestowed upon him by the fraternity.  I cannot  reveal his actual name because I’m not sure if the statute of limitations has  run out on the many unresolved “incidents” at BW where he is still considered a primary suspect or person of interest, (just a joke, there really isn’t any eyewitness evidence linking him).

I don’t remember the exact date and time when I first met the tall Irishman in 1977.  I know it was at football practice, however, where he was holding court telling one of his stories making us all laugh including Coach Tressel.  Legend has it that laughter would fill the Tressel home at dinner as the normally stoic Coach would regale his wife Eloise with the latest story overheard or shenanigans pulled by Tad at practice.

Today, Tad and I are no longer the handsome student-athletes we once were.  Back in the 1970’s Tad’s fame extended beyond the walls of Ernsthausen, home of Lambda Chi Alpha.  He  earned campus-wide recognition when  BW’s Delta Zeta sorority named him their  “Man of the Year..” An honor he always reminds me of every time we get together. 

Just about every late Friday afternoon we can be found at that same watering hole sharing legendary stories about our days at BW.  You know it’s funny that no matter how many times we have heard each other’s stories, they still bring laughter. 

How accurate or exaggerated our stories may be, is irrelevant. We believe!  After all, one doesn’t question the validity of glory days stories when spending time with old friends.  Plus, stories may change as the night wears on. The stories of BW Yellow Jacket football victories become more heroic, and Lambda Chi Alpha  antics become funnier and more outrageous after downing a number of pints.

On a recent Friday afternoon our memories drifted back to a momentous fraternity meeting forever known as “the Shattered Lamp Incident.”  As Tad recalled the event, I was suddenly transported back in time to 1978.   

In my mind’s eye, I saw myself sitting in the back of our first-floor lounge as usual.  The spot was perfect to observe and keep from being volunteered to do something for the frat.  “Keps” and “Guy” were snapping beer bottle caps with their fingers across the room with alarming speed and deadly accuracy. 

My roommate “Orca”  was showing off his famous Robot dance move.  Practicing the dance every night for over two weeks, he knew all the ladies down at the BC, would go crazy for him.  I always thought it would take more than a few fancy dance moves to attract the ladies to the 6’ 2” 280 lbs. offensive lineman. 

Tad was in a 4-point stance illustrating his pass rushing prowess using the “arm over technique.” I remember thinking he was dangerously close to an expensive Tiffany-style hanging light fixture.  As our diminutive fraternity president entered the room, all conversation went silent as he prepared to start the meeting.  Suddenly the silence was broken by a shriek of “Oh Crap” accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.  All heads turned to face the sound.  There stood our illustrious defensive end Tad, smiling and covered in broken stained glass wearing the remains of the once beautiful lamp on his head like a crown awarded to a victorious Olympian of ancient Greece.

Our president sighed, took one look at our Tad, and left the lounge in disgust.  Meeting over.  You see, our president had set up the meeting to deal with the fines charged to us by the administration to repair damages on campus after one of our keg parties.  Now add one expensive hanging light fixture to the repair list.

No matter how many times Tad tells the story, he doesn’t forget to remind me how perfect his “arm over “ technique was.  I agree, as I saw him use the technique many times at practice to blow past a befuddled offensive lineman to sack the quarterback.  It was a thing of beauty.

While Tad and I spend time talking about our life today and current events, like the Browns move to Brook Park or the likelihood that our beloved Yellow Jackets will make the D3 football playoffs next season, the stories of old still bring out the most laughter.  This is why I say keep your friends of old close.  Take the time machine back every now and then.  Laughing at memories is good for your soul and an ever-present help in your life today.

Everyone needs a little Tad in their lives!