Thanks to this thread I tracked down two very old and dear friends of mine. We were best friends all throughout grade school, high school, and the first couple years of college. Even though we didn't attend the same high schools or colleges, we remained terribly close. I ended up losing track with both friends. They remained on the southeast side of Chicago/Indiana, and I moved up north, made new friends, etc. I haven't seen, or heard anything from either of them in almost twenty years. Last night I went MySpace hunting and came across both of them. Both are named "John." One of the John's was terribly excited to hear from me. He wanted to know all about my life, how my family is doing, etc., etc. This is the guy who gave me
Big Sexy Land and
VIVIsect VI which started me on my way to discovering underground music. It was so good to reconnect with him. The other John had nothing to say to me. He "friended" me, but I expected a huge "holy-shit-how-the-fuck-have-you-been" type message. I got nothin'. Maybe I'm just being a little insecure, but I'm thinking he realized one certain aspect of my life through MySpace he never considered.
I never came out to either of them when we were close friends. It was a much different time back in the 80's, especially growing up in a dead steel mill, blue-collar neighborhood. I always thought that one of the Johns, (the one into good music), would always be cool with it; the other John I suspected would have problems accepting it. He was really into metal back then as we all were, and he's still very into metal now it seems. I'm saddened that he hasn't taken any time to at least throw a "Hi!" my way. Maybe he needs time to adjust? Maybe it isn't all about me. Ah, that could be it.
Regardless, me and metal-John were in our first band together. We were called Crimsin. We wrote a song called "Sin:" My name is Sin / if you haven't heard / I'm inflicting the disease / and spreading the word / I live in your mind / I walk beside fear / when you hear my name / your time to go is near. \m/ Ha.
Anyway, metal-John still looks the same way he did in high school:
Here's to hoping he comes around.
