Brad Van Pelt and I
I found out that Brad Van Pelt died the other day-he was only 57 and had a heart attack in his home in Owosso, not far from East Lansing where he played football at MSU.
I met Brad when I was but a child (a SMALL child) when he was my teacher's aide-he was going to MSU (and was the star of the football team) and I was....in 6th grade. 6th grade was hard for a variety of reasons-a new school, difficulties between my parents at home, the crazy people in school (although I met D in 6th grade and we've been best friends ever since, so that was a truly bright spot-I just didn't know it at the time). But Brad (who was tall, blond, handsome and kind) was our teacher's aide. We mocked our teacher, (who didn't like me) for thrusting her breasts out at him-and how always acted like he didn't notice. And I couldn't wait to tell my brother, seven years older than I, and who knew all about football-the game I was taken to every Saturday afternoon (even when it snowed) and which baffled me (it became easier to understand once I made my dad explain it to me in some detail). My brother, of course, did not believe me. I did have a habit of making up stories (see Saki's The Open Window for an exaggerated story on how I behaved) but this was actually true-and Brad helped me (inadvertently) to prove it.
Yes, I wore my MSU hat to get attention from him-but in a childish way. The hat was green and white, of course, not a baseball-style cap, but more like a old-fashioned cap that a cabbie would wear, but with pie-shaped wedges of green and white. (it was the 70's and I was ten. Don't judge). And Brad, bless him, noticed. Nice cap, he said and we chatted a little about football. I glowed-but only because at that point in my life, if anyone was kind to me, I glowed. It didn't take much.
Let's cut to a couple of days later, when my brother (who still did not believe me) said we had orders from Mom to go get some milk and I had better come with him because he couldn't leave me at the house alone. So, there we were at the Quality Dairy-and Brad walked in. "Hey, where's your hat?" he asked, while rubbing my head (much like my parents would). "I left it at home" said I. And my brother stood there, baffled that I was actually talking with star of the football team-but I was kind enough to introduce him. Of course I did-I actually got to show him that I had not been lying. In fact, the first words I said to him when we got into the car were "I TOLD you he was my teacher's aide".
And Brad was nothing but gracious and kind to a child that he barely knew and her brother.
When I read the obits, everyone mentioned that however great a football player he was (and he was very good), his family came first. And he was always gracious and kind to everyone-always the nice guy and how much they liked him. And I thought, yeah, that's the guy I met. I'm so glad he didn't change.
So, thank you, Brad, for always being that guy.
I met Brad when I was but a child (a SMALL child) when he was my teacher's aide-he was going to MSU (and was the star of the football team) and I was....in 6th grade. 6th grade was hard for a variety of reasons-a new school, difficulties between my parents at home, the crazy people in school (although I met D in 6th grade and we've been best friends ever since, so that was a truly bright spot-I just didn't know it at the time). But Brad (who was tall, blond, handsome and kind) was our teacher's aide. We mocked our teacher, (who didn't like me) for thrusting her breasts out at him-and how always acted like he didn't notice. And I couldn't wait to tell my brother, seven years older than I, and who knew all about football-the game I was taken to every Saturday afternoon (even when it snowed) and which baffled me (it became easier to understand once I made my dad explain it to me in some detail). My brother, of course, did not believe me. I did have a habit of making up stories (see Saki's The Open Window for an exaggerated story on how I behaved) but this was actually true-and Brad helped me (inadvertently) to prove it.
Yes, I wore my MSU hat to get attention from him-but in a childish way. The hat was green and white, of course, not a baseball-style cap, but more like a old-fashioned cap that a cabbie would wear, but with pie-shaped wedges of green and white. (it was the 70's and I was ten. Don't judge). And Brad, bless him, noticed. Nice cap, he said and we chatted a little about football. I glowed-but only because at that point in my life, if anyone was kind to me, I glowed. It didn't take much.
Let's cut to a couple of days later, when my brother (who still did not believe me) said we had orders from Mom to go get some milk and I had better come with him because he couldn't leave me at the house alone. So, there we were at the Quality Dairy-and Brad walked in. "Hey, where's your hat?" he asked, while rubbing my head (much like my parents would). "I left it at home" said I. And my brother stood there, baffled that I was actually talking with star of the football team-but I was kind enough to introduce him. Of course I did-I actually got to show him that I had not been lying. In fact, the first words I said to him when we got into the car were "I TOLD you he was my teacher's aide".
And Brad was nothing but gracious and kind to a child that he barely knew and her brother.
When I read the obits, everyone mentioned that however great a football player he was (and he was very good), his family came first. And he was always gracious and kind to everyone-always the nice guy and how much they liked him. And I thought, yeah, that's the guy I met. I'm so glad he didn't change.
So, thank you, Brad, for always being that guy.
posted by SHbookworm at 4:08 PM
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