I got to see a friend from grade school while I was home. Bennet went to Dixon Elementary with me and with Bob Schwoch. We remained friends through high school. His father was a physician, and his mother an ex-model maniac, who physically abused Bennet and his little brother, Bevan, now deceased. When I demonstrated the lacerations to my folks, they agreed to have Bennet live with us, and we rearranged the basement for the purpose.
Events took Bennet to Chicago, where he became a bond trader and married Stephanie, now a physician. They have 3 kids of their own, very handsome and bright, but before they started having their own, they took in another: Awvee Storey, a kid out of Cabrini Green whom Bennett saw playing baseball in the street and invited to play on his inner-city league team, then took in at the request of his mother, a single mom with 3 other kids of her own. Off the street, Awvee got away from the gangs and into Arizona State on a basketball scholarship. He subsequently played briefly in the NBA, in foreign leagues in Germany, Korea and Venezuela, and his contract has now been picked up by our hometown Milwaukee Bucks. Very exciting, of course, but as for Bennett, what a great guy to find a way to pay it forward.
Great to see you, Bennet, and thanks for looking me up when I was in town.
Funny story about Bennett… our folks went on vacation to South America and hired a retired nun, Sister Somesuch, to watch after us. She was all of 4’10” tall and had a penchant for sprinkling Holy Water about the house as we feigned sleep. Anyway, no one had told her about Bennett (the beloved 6’2″ Asian ‘troll’ living on our basement). How shocked she was when he emerged from the labarynth. They met in the hallway that conjoined the kitchen and laundry room, where I believe Bennett was baptised while being cursed by Sister Somesuch as she attempted to cast him from our midst. She was nuts… and likely Bennett… ever mellow… took it in stride. Nothing was to be unexpected in that house. By the time the 2 week vacation was up, all of my siblings had found sanctuary at their respective friends’ homes… that is except for me. Being the fifth child and well under 2 digits in age, I was left to fend for myself.
Nevertheless, Bennett was the first in a string of basement dwellers that succeeded him the the following decade: there were randoms loosely affilated to the family, friends of us kids, cousins, and brothers of Dan’s girlfriends. A couple of my high-school friends ended up living there while I was at school even.
As for Bennett, I remember him as a gentle giant. He was very easy-going and related to me well (his younger brother, Bevan, was in my class). I can’t say I was good friends with Bevan… and I can’t say I was a good enough friend to Bevan. But I was young. While I am pleased to hear Bennett has done well, I am not surprised this is the case. On the other hand, I am saddened to hear of Bevan. I witnessed how difficult was his grade school experience. Not excluded or bullied. But also not included. I have photos of him from some of my birthday parties (when he was allowed to attend)… and some photos from grade school class pictures. He looks neither unhappy nor happy. I am sorry he is gone.
Sister George.
Right. Sister George. Thanks for sharpening a memory I had almost successfully sublimated. You’re the best. :|
Breakfast at the Collins home.
Speaker 1: I met your friend at breakfast. Nice guy.
Speaker 2: Who?
Speaker 1: Guy at the end of the table.
Speaker 2: I don’t know him. I thought he was your friend.
A Collins Wedding.
Event Hall Coordinator: Sir, as I said, we really need you guys to clear everyone out. It states in the contract that the reception must end by midnight.
Groomsman #1: huh?
Coordinator: I am going to ask you this last time to clear all of the folks out of here. It’s now 2:30 AM and you still have an open bar.
Groomsman #2: This plaassis great. Can I getchu a drinkersumthing?
Groomsman #3: Itsson me… what’llyahave?
Coordinator: We’re not allowed to drink while we’re working. We really need you to get your guests to vacate.
Groomsman #1: They’re not my guests.
Groomsman #2: Ha! Right… I gottanidea… whydoncha find the Groom ersumthing and see whathecandu to get people moving?
Groomsman #3: dju wanna dance er sumthing?
Coordinator: Really, guys, I am going to be forced to call the police.
Groomsman #2: Don’t bother… they’re already here.
Coordinator: Huh?
Groomsman #1: That guy over there… the one with the tie around his head… he’s the Waukesha COunty Sheriff… and that guy doing the Worm… I think he’s a detective er narcotics officer or something… and those guys over there … right, those guys are the Kleppin brothers… City of Milwaukee, all of them. And the guy on the table… he’s with … shit I can’t remember… deryu want me to introduce you to them? Or…
Coordinator: crap.
That’s a good story, for Sunday AM.
Good people, y’all.
Dan – Awvee Story should have gone to the University of Illinois.
My parents were forever taking in strays. I guess five kids in a three bedroom house just wasn’t cozy enough. They did eventually close up the garage to gain another bedroom. It was mostly members of the extended family needing a place to stay for a few months, but occasionally it would be friends of the family. And then, weekends we almost always had a few extra kids spending the night with one or more of my sisters. What a freaking crowd. After the last kid moved out, my dad did some major remodeling to get rid of all those extra bedrooms. Mom made him keep one as a guest room, very much against his will. His younger brother is living in it now.
I firmly believe in the “Pay it Forward” idea. I teach 7th and 8th grade students, and I make them watch it…..and I try to lead a discussion afterward. Sadly, the main message that most of these students have received to this point is that altruism is for suckers, and take everything you can get from fools trying to help out. I’d like to think that I changed a few minds……
Dan, nice post. Your parents sound like they were great folks.
gahrie
IMHO it’s because as our society has become more dominated by people who measure “compassion” with how many goverment programs have been proposed and passed while concurrently deriding private charitable acts, these kids realize that they need to tenaciously hold on to anything they earn least the pro-altruists come along with “We’re going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good” and rob them blind. They know such “altruism” is a cynical sham.
Dan
Great story, and what a wonderful family legacy. My late uncle, also ASU alumni (and football), was a surrogate father to many friends that his sons brought home.
When my daughters were at home, there was occassions when the house burst at the seams for all the different friends that needed a safe place to live for a while. Occassionally, it didn’t work, but we never gave up trying.
Karma, what goes around, pay it forward … committing random acts of kindness is the most powerful way for lasting change.
Dan – That sounds like a fun way to grow up. Though we did not have any “strays”, our home was the gathering place for all of the large groups of friends for me and my brothers. Mom routinely had dinner for 10+ and loved it.
Thanks, guys. My folks is good people. Strange that Mom would wait till we were all out of the house to lose her mind, though.
This is freaking spooky – I know Bennet. He’s one of our favored bond dealers.
Small world, huh?
Yeah, Perc. Well, he’s a trustworthy fellow, after all.
Have you heard from burrhog? Is he still in Texas? Maybe you could repost the link to his Amazon page?
hf–
I have to call him. No, haven’t heard anything. Thanks for the reminder.
ok – Darleen got me thinking about Texas