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PCR #151. (Vol. 4, No. 7) This edition is for the week of February 10--16, 2003.
Matt's Rail

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AN HONOR BEYOND ME
This past weekend, I had the distinct honor of being Best Man at a Wedding. Not just any Wedding, mind you, but that of my nephew, Daniel, whom, along with my mother and father, I helped raise from infancy.

Being Best Man, for sure, is a tremendous honor in any scenario. I've been fortunate enough to be best man at 3 previous Weddings as well, and while to this day i can't figure out why I've been lucky enough to be chosen such by the prospective groom, I can say without reservation that the feelings of gratitude and joy are overwhelming.

But to be chosen Best Man by Daniel is truly too difficult for my mind to comprehend. Here's a guy who I use to bounce on my lap to the tune of the William Tell Overture when he was an infant. I held him in the hospital when he was born, gave him his first scolding, as well as his first bike. Who was it that caught him in his first lie? You guessed it...it was me.

Being someone who can't have children, I've learned to look at him as more the son I'll never have than a nephew. This feeling was driven home even deeper after the wedding when some attendees actually thought I was his father or brother because of the eerie resemblance between us. Naturally, this was received as the ultimate compliment by me, even though until now I never noticed the resemblance.

But the one thing that keeps running thru my mind is how Daniel overcame all the odds to make a success out of his life. Not getting too specific, suffice it to say that he had everything going against him from the beginning. Many guests on shows like Jerry Springer and Montel have lamented having the same type of background, all too eager to point at it and proclaim "It's not my fault I suck as a human being". Not my main home boy......he looked at his situation and decided to be stronger and more powerful than the hand he was dealt.

A lot of us, me included, were born into situations that were less than stellar. If you've read my past posts with regularity, you know of what I speak. Look at Pete Townsend. With all he's accomplished in music, having attained the heightened plateau in rock and roll, he evidently has succommed to his past. Put simply, the foundation of our lives sometimes is made of shit concrete....and it's up to us to persevere and make the decision that it is, or is not, what we choose to be.

Daniel has surpassed my highest expectations for him, and the only thing that makes me prouder of being his Best Man is the fact that I have the simple pleasure of knowing him.

Congrats to Daniel and Michelle, who started out as two, and have now become one.

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
The big bonus of the week came on my last night in town, where I finally....FINALLY.....got to experience a joy not know to me for over 20 years now. That is....Mike, Nolan, and your's truly being in the same room together.

Many times have come and gone where Mike and I have hooked up, or Nolan and I were afforded a brief encounter, or Mike and Nolan got together. But algebraic moons have passed over yonder mountain since we were able to be in the same room together. This is huge, folks...as there probably aren't many men in this world who truly love each other unequivocably and without reservation as the three of us do.

Like a blast to the past, it appears to me we picked up right where we left off. Intuitive conversation, celebrity annihilation, and of course making fun at someone else's expense...it was all there. Even during the brief moments of silence you could feel the exuberance...in such a way as the wind blows and yet you can't see it, but you know it's there.

The only thing that really changed was the 20 years we all put on. I was going to say 20 years and 20 pounds but I guess I would be excluded (huh huh huh huh). Nolan whipped out his ax for a pseudo rendition of Van Halen's Eruption for Mike's son, Phillip, who was also on hand. I wasn't able to partake of that moment but I'm sure it was like all others when the Big N gets his hands on a guitar....that being the jaw dropping experience of wonderment.

Added to this bonus was the pleasure of meeting my old grudge mate Terence Nuzum and fellow PCR Columnist Drew Reiber, both excellent people I can assure you. Patty H was there as well, famed for her Woo Woo Express. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet Mike Scott (Dead guy) who I was really looking forward to meeting. Came close, but circumstances transpired that I won't go into here that made it not happen. Unquestionably the biggest letdown and regret of the week. Sorry D.

As it was, Mike, Nolan and I were fortunate enough to share each other's company twice in 3 days which is damn near unheard of these days. The one thing I'm certain we all can attest to is that it was too long in coming...much too long. And it would clearly be worse than criminal to let such time pass between us again.

I love you guys dearly, and simply had the time of my life.

Till next time, take care and God bless,
Matthew

"Matt's Rail" is ©2003 by Matthew Drinnenberg. Webpage design and all graphics herein are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2003 by Nolan B. Canova.