Tuesday, March 17, 2009

A Visit From My Old Friend Hugh McCallum


The photo above shows me (at right) with one of my oldest and best friends in this world, Hugh McCallum (at left). We're on the beach at Corpus Christi Bay with the aircraft carrier USS Lexington behind us.

Hugh and I tried to figure out how old we were when we first met, and we finally determined we must have been four or five years old. That means we have known each other for over 50 years, not a bad record for two people who are not blood relatives.

Hugh lives in Los Angeles and works as a grip in movie and commercial production. You can see a credit for Hugh in the closing credits for such films as Casino, The Doors, True Lies, and, of course, the beloved Charles Bronson revenge drama Murphy's Law. Hugh kept Di and I well entertained with stories of the actors and directors he has worked with (and he had something good to say about almost everyone), and he and I also did some heavy duty trips down memory lane to the people and places of our boyhoods.

It is impossible for me to describe how much good a visit from an old friend does me these days. It's weird that at the time when I am physically collapsing that my heart is happier than it has been in years. The visits and e-mails from people in my past mean so much, more than I ever can put in words.

Hugh is the walking definition of a "good man." He has been a true and loyal friend over the decades, and it is a great honor to have him for a friend.