He really is the BEST!

Sometimes in this life, we meet and make friends with individuals that we just click with, creating a relationship that transcends time and space, and when we rekindle that friendship, the cascading sense of "deja vu all over again" warms the soul, puts a sparkle in the eye, and generates enormous smiles. I was recently gifted the opportunity to reconnect with one Donald A Young Esq, the best man from my wedding 31 years ago this summer, on the occasion of his return to Onterrible in support of his youngest son who was representing Alberta at the Canadian Rugby Championships.

To be blatantly honest, the reason for the lengthy absence is that Donny moved to Alberta some 30 years ago, successfully challenged the Alberta Bar, and has wowed them at the Alberta Securities Commission for all those years. On the rare occasion that we found ourselves in the same province, our schedules have never allowed for a face to face, prompting the 31 year absence. Sure, Social Media has allowed us to stay in the loop as we shared some of life's moments, but sharing a meal or a beverage has been long overdue, so when he texted me to say that he was coming back east because Mitch had made the Alberta U19 rugby side and would be at the U of Guelph for the CRC, I was all in. 

Rugby game? Check!
DY? Check!
Reconnection? Priceless!

Donny (aka DY or Chub-a-dub) and I first met when we both earned spots on the Queen's University Gaels football team ... they were the GOLDEN Gaels back then, and still are if you ask me ... and over our shared experience we forged a bond stronger than steel. Besides our grid iron escapades, we also supported our university experiences working part time at the same pub in Kingston's downtown, the iconic Firehall Restaurant and Pumpers Bar and Grill. I'm not sure if you've been gifted a relationship that comes so easy that it feels like it's always existed, but the one DY and I shared (and still share) makes us like First Gump's "Peas and Carrots".

You'll likely already know that I have 3 brothers, and choosing one of them to be my best man risked offending the other two, so I knew that I had to choose my best man from outside the family dynamic, and if I'm honest, the thought process wasn't very lengthy nor involved because DY was the defacto choice numero uno. By the time that my wedding rolled around, we had lived together at Queen's (the sight of the infamous Coke track fiasco ... see end note), we had worked together for a number of years, and we had travelled to California together. In my brain, he was the BEST MAN!

Back to the present, I was able to make the trip to Guelph for Mitch's game vs Ontario, and despite the final tally in support of the boys in lower Canada, Mitch was a real treat to watch. I should come clean that I wasn't at all surprised considering the genetic stock he came from, and it was yet another thing DY and I could share since he was bursting with pride as he regaled some of the experiences that his boy and he had already shared on the pitch. As it would turns out, Mitch has committed to relocating from Calgary to Victoria in pursuit of his rugby dreams, and has plans to play for same James Bay RFC that Keaton played for when he was in BC chasing his own dreams. The icing on the cake was the news that Mitch had been invited to try out for the Canada U20's next year, and based on what I have seen plus being able to play for James Bay for a year, I'd wager he has a solid shot. 

Another common thread for DY and I hopefully, since Keaton had followed the same path to earn his own spot on Team Canada 4 years ago.

In the end, Joyce and I got to share some quality time with DY prior to Mitch's game vs Quebec, rekindled some of the magic from so many years ago, and got to watch another entertaining rugby game. All positives in my opinion. We said our goodbyes again and shared a long bro-hug.

We both vowed to ensure another 30 years wouldn't pass before the next one.

End Note:

The infamous Coke Truck fiasco!

DY and I were living on Albert St in Kingston in the summer of 1987. After one stretch that saw us work 9 or 10 days in a row, we were stirred from our exhausted slumber by an incredible POW! I sat straight up in bed and yelled, "What the EFF was that?" DY's reply, after a quick peek out the window was, "There's a Coke truck in the living room!" We both threw on some sweats and bounded down the staircase only to be greeted by the sight of a honest to goodness Coke truck half into house, destroying the porch and buckling the entire living room floor in the process. True to form, as DY looked the dazed and bleeding driver almost face to face, he informed said driver, "No, no, no. We ordered Pepsi!" 

The incident earned us a spot on the night's news PLUS a few grey hairs after we learned that the right fender had somehow managed to miss the natural gas pipe in the collision. As it turned out, the driver had suffered a heart attack and lost control of the truck, but was thankfully okay after some much needed medical attention.