For me Matthew had two unusual and dramatic traits - his speed and his height - and the two worked in opposite directions. If Matt would have been 6' 4" he would probably have been competing with Usain Bolt and other world class sprinters. Dude the cat was quick out of the blocks and fast, I'm talking Cheetah skills.
Well I don't know if that's the case today but that's what sticks in my mind, fast and short. So the short story (pun intended) that I will never forget was a summer when Matt was probably six years old. Maybe he was younger but I'm pretty sure he wasn't older. On this summer afternoon several of our aunts and uncles showed up at our house for some food, conversation and fodder. No biggie, typical stuff for our family at that point.
Well, I recall that the five of us were playing in the yard. That is Marc, Brad, Doug, Matt and me for those counting at home. And horse play was in full swing. You can imagine the pushing, the throwing, the trash talking, the whole bit. During the mayhem Matt took a cheap shot at Doug and bloodied his lip in the process. I'm not sure how, but Doug was pissed. Here was this little guy who wasn't any taller than Doug's hip who had just found a way to leap up and bloody his lip. Impressive since Matt's vertical would have to have been at least 12 inches to complete the feat. Doug, in his anger elected to start chasing Matt around the yard and around the house. If he caught Matt it would have returned the favor. Doug had that look in his eye. But it was the equivalent of a lumbering bear attempting to catch a rabbit. Matt took off and Doug gave chase. If you've seen Wild Kingdom you can imagine the scene. Matt could start and stop on a dime, juke and turn and used every asset he had to keep Doug from catching him by the back of his shirt. Doug was persistent, which made the scene even funnier. He used his anger to fuel him, but his effort was fruitless. No chance. Matt was just too quick and fast for him.
I remember Matt as always being a bit of a sh*t stirrer. He had a knack for bringing others to the trouble party and then finding a quiet exit. Now he was much younger than me, and very cute for his age. Maybe that's why it's my recollection that he got away with a lot. He grew out of his cute phase, but never grew out of his short phase. But seriously, I haven't spent much time with Matt since those days long ago.
He's now got a great family, wonderful wife Wendy, and is the resident crocodile hunter of the family. He's adventurous and has recently moved back to NE Iowa for a new conservation/outdoor job. That's where he was always at his best ... where he couldn't be cornered easily.
No comments:
Post a Comment