Friendship? — By Tommy Purser

It used to be so easy.
You know, guys, I’ve been at this a long time. All the time I see where workers are lauded because they’ve spent 30 years at a job. Forty years.
When someone works for an employer for 40 years, that’s a really long time. A lot of hours. A lot of work.
Wow!
Those folks need a huge pat on the back. 40 years!! Wow!! Just wow!!!
Well, not to brag or bring any accolades my way, but I’ve been writing this coluimn for you, my faithful readers, for 52 years.
52 years!!
Stop reading for just a few seconds, sit back and relax and think about it. Really think about.
I must be older than dirt!
In fact, I am older than dirt.
52 years!!!
And, before I stood up and took the helm of this newspaper, I worked at my hometown newspaper for I don’t know how many years. I don’t know because that was a long time ago and my memory fails me.
Was it 2 years? Three years? I don’t remember. But it was a while. A substantial while.
People ask me how many years I’ve been doing this …. stuff …. and I simply anwer, “I don’t know — a while.”
My great friend Roy — I won’t tell you his last name because I really don’t want to besmirch him — got me into this mess.
I remember the telephone call well, despite the fog of years, because it was a long time ago. But it was a defining conversation in my life. It changed my life forever.
He had taken over the helm of his father’s newspaper and he needed help. So he called me. I recall what he said, “Tommjy, you know we need a sports editor here at the newspaper and I thought you’d be good at it. Whadya think?”
Well, I didn’t think.
I just said, “Yeah. I’ll do it.”
What a stupid answer!
It changed my life forever. It changed the good wife’s life forever, too. It affected my children’s upbringing. They have been warped for life.
What a stupid answer!
He was my friend. Friends don’t do such things to friends.
“Ya, wanna be a sports editor, Tommy?”
Why would a friend ask a friend such a question?
And why would a reasonably sane person like myself blurt out the words that would doom one to such a fate.
“Yeah, I’ll do it.”
Jeez! What was I thinking?
Sorry about this column, folks.
Tometimes my mind just wanders.