A MIDLICK DIED

Midlick.

I know. It sounds like something from Middle Earth. Or perhaps a cartoon character. Maybe an herb. Whatever it MAY sound like, it sounds intriguing, doesn't it?

A Midlick, is one of a number of children from the Midlick family that my bro and I played with during our childhood in Ohio. They were mostly boys (one pretty girl sneaked in there) and their names all started with the same initial, so when we begin to call their names, starting with the oldest, it became a kind of trance-inducing mantra. "JIM-mee, JON-nee, JO-ee, JEF-fee" over and over. One of them would show up. Or any combination. They were fun too. They could run fast, jump high, take dares, go anywhere, and eat anything. They were the bravest people we ever met. And there were so many of them. They were all very very close in age. I think they were all, I don't know, maybe 20 minutes apart...age wise.

Mom called and one of them had died. Joey. My personal favorite. He was my favorite because 1. He looked exactly like Danny Kaye, whom I adored, and 2. He had no problem just hanging out and not doing hideously physical things. He was willing to just walk and talk and ponder and this was important to a fat kid like me who got winded stepping over paper money. He was just so fun! He smiled very very easily. This is a trait he continued through adulthood, because his smile is mentioned in his obituary.

Joey was a Midlick.

Midlick (noun): A friend. One who smiles easily and who is willing to ponder important truths with another.