I called an old friend not long ago to see how he was doing and if he and his wife had completed their vaccinations against this cursed virus that’s plagued us for over a year. He assured me that all is well and he would soon receive both shots and be in good shape.
Doug Meister and I have been friends for a long time. In fact, I’m never quite sure what year he arrived in Knoxville to become the associate minister at First Christian Church. This guy with long hair, a beard and a gravelly voice was an unlikely candidate for a friend. He hailed from Ohio. He received his ministerial degree from, of all places, Vanderbilt. In fact, the man is a fan of Ohio and Vanderbilt sports.
Both of us were in our 30’s when Doug arrived in Knoxville. The more we talked, the better friends we became. One year, Doug formed a church softball team and convinced me to play. I told him that I wasn’t able to run, partially due to an ankle that had been broken several times and on which I had had two surgeries.
That ball team sealed our friendship. We practiced and enticed others to join us. Our team molded itself into one that won its fair share of games. After every game, we headed to Roger’s, the best place to eat fantastic hotdogs and drink a beer. We spent plenty of time just talking about all sorts of things. Sometimes, I’d ask him a religious question and hold on tight as I tried to follow his scholarly answer.
Doug left FCC to take a position as a regional minister, and then he moved to Louisville, Kentucky to be the senior minister. It was there that Doug found Diane, and they married. His bride is a wonderful person, but she has pulled him farther away from ever being a Big Orange fan. They are dedicated Louisville fans. It’s so sad.
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