RONNIEISMS

I was sitting at my computer yesterday when I received a phone call from one of my oldest friends while growing up on Division Street in Chicago. You know the Street I mention a lot because of my sister's book, THE DIVISION STREET PRINCESS, a wonderful book about growing up in the 40s and 50s.
My old buddy Fred Rosen calls to tell me how much he's enjoying my book and remembering the old days, as we call them, when we were kids. Fred is one of a kind. He's a year younger than me but still plays basketball, competitvely, on two reconstructed knees. He's the bionic man, believe it.
Other than my sister, he's the only one I go to see, usually for 30 minutes, whenever I visit Chicago. He worked in his Father's liquor business as I in the family grocery store. Our other friends, Shelly Goodman, now deceased, Sherwin Kunik, now deceased, Shy Greenberg, now who knows what, and Harry Zwerling now retired in Atlanta. Les Lobell, he of the purple trousers, now retired and living back in Chicago after his wife Lois passed away. Other old friends Ralph Ikenn and Arnie Orleans are also deceased.
Talking with Fred is always uplifting and brings back those wonderful memories of childhood. The days when you could play in the streets or in the park without the fear of a drivebye taking your life. Our parents were hard working people that wanted for their children to have a better life than they. Some of our parents came to this country from Europe when they were children and grew up during hard times, they wanted more and better for their kids and for the most part succeeded.
So here we are, 60 some years later, rehashing the good times we remember and remembering our friends no longer with us. The memories bring smiles and tears at the same time, but I think more smiles. Harry, do you remember ringalivio, I think that's the way it's spelled. I wish I had some old photos of our gang as it would be called today but it was just good buddies all doing for each other.
One last thing before ending, especially for my old passengers. Do you remember pushing the Old Buick down the alley to get it started so we could get to Roosevelt on the North side?