Sean and I became good friends during our days at Miller Intermediate. We lived in the same neighborhood and could almost always be found hanging out at either one of our houses. Our teenage years were awesome. Many days and evenings were spent playing Axis & Allies, dreaming up custom-made radio-controlled cars, building model planes, watching movies, listening to classic rock music, and talking about girls. When we were younger, I’d love staying over at his place for the night (his parents would buy us Domino’s to snack on). We remained close friends all the way through our graduation from South Houston High School.
One of my fondest memories of Sean is the passion we both shared for military aviation. We spent countless hours building models of our favorite jets, each one trying to outdo the other (ultimately – he would win). We would study pictures and manufacturer schematics, take drives to Ellington to see visiting jets from other bases, as well as attend the air shows to get the ultimate in-depth look at our subjects. We mastered the art of building models – using the correct color coded paints, accomplishing airbrushing and decal placement techniques, and giving our models the utmost details – from the pilot’s wrinkled flight suit inside the cockpit to the fuel stains outside of the fuselage. There was a time when we could both rattle off the type of engines different aircraft used, the various types of weaponry they could be outfitted, as well as flight data – maximum air speeds, maximum ceiling heights, fuel weight with their appropriate range. We both had Top Gun and Iron Eagle movies memorized, word for word. We could also point out inconsistencies in the movies when it came to some of the flight scenes. We were nuts on the subject. Good times.
Sean was one of my few ‘ork dork’ friends, him being a violin player in the orchestra, where I was a ‘band geek’ – playing trumpet in the band. We always gave each other a hard time about which one was cooler throughout our years in school. By the way Sean, band is still way cooler…
I remember that exact moment in the band hall at SoHo when Sean told me that he was thinking about trying out to be a cheerleader. I laughed. I really thought he was kidding – no way. Wow, was I wrong. Despite the constant teasing that I gave him in the beginning, he not only tried out – he made it. I was proud of him, he stuck to his guns and achieved his goal. That’s how he was in school, setting out his goals and doing his best to achieve them.
Like so many other early friendships, things eventually changed. After high school, we went to different colleges which ultimately led to different lives – new friends, new relationships, new responsibilities. Years later we would run into each other at a local store – shaking hands and quickly asking each other the typical ‘how have you been’ questions, but then quickly return to our independent lives. Sometime after that we would connect as ‘friends’ via Facebook. I often thought about reaching out, just to connect with my old friend and see about catching up, but never did. “I’ll do it later,” I’d tell myself. Now I never will get the chance. My loss.
I didn’t get to be a part of Sean’s life after high school – never got to know the man that he had become. I do know he got married, has two beautiful girls, and has a lot of friends. That is evident by reading the many posts on FB. If he was anything like he was when we were growing up, I know he was successful in everything he did and had the respect of those that knew him. He was one of the good guys.
I’ll always treasure the wonderful times we shared in our adolescent years. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to have Sean as a close friend during those times. I think I’m going to watch Top Gun this weekend with my boys. Sean, you can be my wingman any time. God bless.
Darryl W. Dement – South Houston High School, Class of 1990
