IRON CONNECTIONS, OR TWO PEOPLE
 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE IN A MANLY WAY
Rick Hughes January 18, 2010

ONE ITEM YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG AND IMMATURE, DO NOT MISTAKE ME, I AM STILL YOUNG BUT MORE MATURE, IS HOW VITAL FRIENDSHIP IS. THE REASON I FEEL TOTALLY BLESSED FOR GROWING UP IN ALDERSON IS NOT ONLY THE INCREDIBLE ENVIRONMENT, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR UNLIMITED EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO THE RANDOMNESS OF HOW YOU MEET AND SOMEHOW SOLIDIFY IRON LIKE FRIENDSHIPS. FORTUNE SMILED TWICE ON ME IN ALDERSON, ALEX MCLAUGHLIN , I MET IN THE 5TH GRADE.  I CANNOT REMEMBER EXACTLY HOW, HE WAS THE COACHES SON SO I ASKED HIM IF COULD WATCH A BALL GAME ON TV WITH HIM, HE SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO GO TO DICK'S HOUSE, WHICH WAS A BLOCK AWAY . AFTER THAT HE AND I ALWAYS SEEMED TO JUST HIT IT OFF. HE HAS BEEN A GREAT AND LOYAL FRIEND WHO GETS BETTER AND BETTER LIKE OLD WINE. THE SECOND GREAT FRIEND, ALLEN GALLOWAY, I MET HIM IN HIGH SCHOOL. IT WAS NOT A FRIENDLY MEETING, SOMEHOW, WE WERE ARGUING ABOUT SOMETHING, AND JOHNNY JOHNSON AND I GAVE HIM A CRUDE, UNFRIENDLY SIGN, AND YELLED CRUEL, VICIOUS WORDS AT HIM. WE WERE IN THE 7TH GRADE. FORTUNATELY ALLEN, WHO IS BEYOND DESCRIPTION AS A WONDERFUL GOOD HEARTED PERSON FORGAVE ME AND BECAME THE GREATEST FRIEND ANYONE COULD EVER DESCRIBE. THESE TWO GUYS TURNED OUT TO BE TWO GUYS WHO HAVE COMMUNICATED ,AND PUT UP WITH ME ALL THROUGH LIFE. THAT IS THE MAIN REASON I FEEL SO LUCKY TO COME FROM ALDERSON. I STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW I COULD BE SO BLESSED TO HAVE THESE TWO MEN AS MY FRIENDS. MY ONE RESERVATION, I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE AS SMART AS ME AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU PUT THEM BOTH TOGETHER THEY WOULD BE AS SMART? I WAS JUST FUNNING ON THAT LAST STATEMENT MEN..