in Pennsylvania for most of his life. He did many things as
he was growing up, not all good, not all bad. He had a lot of friends.
different versions of how that came to be, both had to do
with when he played roller hockey. In version one, Mike
said, he was so fast that the comment was made that there
were sparks flying off his skates. In version two, which I
tend more to believe, he was quick to anger and so full of
attitude that one of the coaches said he was a spark.
Either way, the name stuck. I, personnally, never called
him Sparky. It sounded too much like I was calling a puppy.
But as he grew up, all his friends used that name for him.
Some never knew his name was actually Mike.
He liked fast cars, motorcycles....everything that said
attitude. At one point he moved to Colorado, and about five
years later, he came home.
had to have a procedure to unblock an artery, and then he
was going to be okay. He couldn't work for a while after
that, and when he could go back to work, he had trouble
finding a job. That's when he moved in with me, and that's
when we got even closer. He lived with me about nine months,
and was able to go back out on his own. He proved to be my best
friend in that time. We were buddies...two parts of a whole. We
didn't always get along, but we were always there for each other.
We went to each other with problems and laughter, we told each
other things we wouldn't tell anyone else. I think that's what I
miss most. Mike as my best friend, kind of my other half.
a wonderful girlfriend. Her name is Adele. She loved him,
he loved her. Although he had problems understanding the
ways of a relationship, Adele was great for him. In many
ways, she was the best thing that ever happened to him. I
truly believe that had Mike lived, he would have married
her. And she remains my friend.
