When did you meet Mickey?
1975
Where did you meet him?
Morningside
Memory of Mickey
At my father’s memorial service, Mickey shared a deeply moving account about my father. I went back and listened to this to hear my dear friend Mickey’s voice. Mickey shared a story about something his mom taught him.
Mickey said: “I was about five and I was planning my life and telling her [Mickey’s mom] all these things I was going to be. And I asked her what she thought. And she said, ‘I think I just want you to be a kind person.’ I thought about that for about five years and then I went back and asked her what that meant. Because I thought she meant be good, and I couldn’t bring it off. She said, You know where you treat everyone like they’re the same kind you are, that’s what kind is.”
Mickey attributed this kindness to my father, but I think his mother was proud of Mickey because he too was a kind and good person. This trait of Mickey was best shown in his magic with children. He had a special gift to relate to children on their level and make them feel special. I think this was rooted in his profound empathy for others. He accepted who people were and could relate to them. When you were talking with Mickey, you knew he cared about you. I have warm memories of playing with Mickey as a child, and it was always a treat to bring my son to visit with Mickey. We often left his house with some toy that Mickey gave Owen. Mickey lived in the moment with others. What better thing can we ever do with one another?
Mickey was fun. At the annual Egg Roast our family hosted, an award was given out every year called “the Six Flags over Mickey award.” This was started after Mickey gave rides on the dirt road though our farm in his jeep. It was a rutted out muddy road and Mickey broke an axel on his jeep. Sure it was probably reckless, but damn it was fun to be a passenger as his jeep careened through the mud.
After my father passed away, I realized I never learned all my dad knew about bar-b-que. Despite sitting around the fire every year with my dad, Al, Mickey and others, there was a lot I didn’t know. I was thankful that Mickey could share some of his wisdom with me. He will always be on my mind whenever I bar-b-que. The most important thing I learned from Mickey is to be yourself. Mickey was unique and did not conform to other people’s expectations of him. I loved him for that.
