Bobby Neil ~ One Truly Good Friend

Some people stay in your life forever ~ they are a permanent fixture in our life. We call them a very special friend. Bobby is one of my very special friends. Why?

There is just no one else like him.

I cannot tell you how many hours of fun we shared growing up, although we never considered time together as dating. And I don't know why. Any girl would want Bobby as a boyfriend. And for me and the Golden Girls, he was just always there.

Photo is the two of us as teenagers, washing his car.

Notice his crewcut and my rolled up jeans.

Bobby has the greatest sense of humor and can put a twist on the obvious with is his particular style ... or maybe it is the tone of his voice that is so delightful to hear. One distinct idiosyncrasy that we enjoy even today, is when he agrees with someone about anything, the tone of his voice is one that sounds unsure....it is a "kind 'a" ~"sort 'a "~ a little bit like,~"maybe." You get the idea he's just going along.

Then he laughs and that seals the fact that he thinks it's a stupid idea.
When trying to nail him down .... if he agrees or if he didn't agree...he always said he is dead serious about agreeing...but again, always with that tone that sounds "kinda"~ "sorta," ~a little bit like...etc.

He is my friend. He is our friend.

When in college, I introduced him to one of the "cutest" girls in our freshman class. Her personality was bright and no doubt they were well suited. They soon became engaged. When we heard they had split up, I was sad for them. Bobby later told me he didn't know what happened. She just gave his ring back and said goodbye, she wanted to move back to her hometown.

She was one of the girls that I wanted to see after all these years and over lunch 40 years after the fact, she volunteered what happened to her romance with Bobby.

She said she realized she needed someone who would open doors for her and Bobby didn't. She went on with an example that had me in stitches.

She said they were going out to dinner one night and she had decided she would give him one last chance to remember the car door for her. She didn't talk with him about her expectation, as she thought a gentleman of that day and time would KNOW.

When they parked the car, he got out and walked on. She stayed in the car... just sat there. Apparently he didn't realize she wasn't following and went on into the resturant. She said after a few minutes, he came back to see if she had a problem.

Her problem was large enough to end the engagement. Both of them later found the right person and have enjoyed a very happy life.

Are you still reading?

I have so many fun stories about Bobby Neil.

Stories to come.

iJune