Remembering Nobody and Nicole

Nicole was my best friend when we were in junior high. We listened to Mark Thompson, a local radio personality, talked about Hall and Oates, shared hopes of boy crushes, and enjoyed each other in a way which truly defines friendship.

As long as I knew Nicole she had severe diabetes, yet she was a strength to her family and friends, an extremely positive and faithful person, who was very kind and a very committed Christian.

Nicole died a few years ago after many years of struggling with her diabetes. It makes me sad that the world lost such a beautiful person, but it makes me happy that she was here for a while and that it was my privilege to know her.

Here we are many years ago:

Thanks to my bro who is affectionately called 'Bud', I received a reminder of one of the good times with my friend. A cassette tape recorded at Six Flags over Georgia perhaps in the year 1984. My parents took my BFF Nicole and me on the trip to the amusement park, and boy did we have a good time. While there we came across a Karaoke style recording studio so I went in the booth with Nicole as my back-up and sang 'Nobody', a country hit at the time by an artist named Sylvia.

The song is very clever and since I've listened to it again, I appreciate the play on words. Unfortunately, Playlist doesn't have the song so I can't share it with you.

And as for my own singing? Not so great, but I remember how exciting it was to be in a recording studio and to have that memento of me singing one of my favorite songs of the time. I'm glad Nicole was there with me. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for taking me and Nicole. Thanks, Bud, for sending the tape. And thanks, God, for letting me have Nicole in my life for a little while.