You would be proud of Steve, even maybe jealous.

Now here is a day that will stick in my head for a long time.  I visited Steve on December 5, yesterday, and he was a delight.  HE brightened my day.  I don't know how you count your blessings but let me tell you how:

First off when I arrived Steve invited me immediately to come over and give him a hug.  He immediately made me welcome and introduced me to a bunch of friends who were standing around including Virginia (his sister) and Bill her husband.  The door on this place should have been one of those revolving doors like at the bank or big downtown building in the city, kinda like the door in ELF when the elf went round and round in the door until he was drunk acting.  Within the two hours I was there at least 50 folks came through to say high and see how he was doing.  He continually called everyone by name as they walked in the door and immediately introduced me as his high school buddy.  NO WONDER he had so many friends, he could remember everyone's name and was excited to introduce someone as his home town friend.  There were a few things I learned from Steve:

• Pride in your roots, the Osage and Shidler
• Friends have names, remember them.  I wished I could recall names so quickly.
• Based on a positive attitude and cheerful demeanor it was hard to tell Steve was the one with cancer. 

On Monday they said there were over 100 people visiting Steve.  Steve was blessed with friends.  There were several folks who came to visit about spiritual things like eternity but frankly there was so much activity it was difficult for anyone to have that type of conversation.  Steve was great even when one of the guys coming in who had a Bible under his arm.  Steve's immediate response was, " .. we are not ready for that yet", which I am certain meant it was not time for reading his last rights.  Typical Steve, always one step ahead. Sharp as ever.  

Well we got to talk about old times and how the girls always thought he was the cutest and I made sure he knew that was back then and not today.  We all had a big laugh.  We talked about how the Intrepids (his band with Nate Bonham, Gene Rash, and Wiley Smith) was formed and how Gene took lessons from someone in Ponca and then Gene would teach Steve how to play.  Steve was naturally a drummer and singer which proved out when he and a bunch of guys as an adult won a singing contest in Tulsa and made the front page of the Tulsa World.  Steve played every instrument and as always he said he had to learn them all because the school was so small he did not have a choice.  In particular I remember he played the tuba which seemed bigger than he was.  Just guessing, I would say he was no more than 135 pounds when he was in high school.

Speaking of the girls I don't think there was a girl that did not like Steve unless they just could not handle his quick wit (some would say, "quick mouth").  I fondly remember Marsha Cannon who was one of the prettiest girls in the class and we had a bunch of good lookers.  She was always dating a certain guy and I think Steve always wanted to date her but she was taken.  He use to give her crap over dating the other guy and he told me that some time after high school he and Marsha dated a little.  Marsha was the first person we lost from our class and as I recall it was cancer and about 25 years ago.  Unlike Steve she was a little more quiet and shy.

Now on sports he had a passion for baseball and could really get loud with the refs but he mostly detested referees in basketball.  The funny thing is he got thrown out at baseball games but never in basketball that I could remember.  He had a way of showing disgust at a bad call and getting away with it.  I was not so lucky and that is another story.  Steve and Ricky Cottle were two folks who could have their back to the rim, jump turn around in mid-air and shoot a goal and make it.  Amazing!

OK, I had better summarize what I intended when I started.

• A great life is not measured by your assets but by your friends and what you did with your assets
• you can drink beer, cuss a little or a lot, love people but in the end there is only one judge you have to stand before and HE is not going to ask you about your cussing or your drinking.  The only question HE is going to ask even though HE knows the answer is, "Why should I let you into heaven?".  And then there is only one answer and the question to that answer is, "Did you love ME and accept MY love by  grace?"  John 3:16
• My sins are no bigger or smaller than anyone else's, I am not perfect and neither are you

Thanks for your time,

gary@thepioneerman.com