Tommy Mitchell

Watched a Charlie Sheen interview the other day and thought of my cousin -Tommy Mitchell Tommy was as cool as the other side of the pillow.An artist,football star and he knew how to talk with the girls.He was the first person I wanted to be like and the first person I had ever drank after.He had a dry sense of humor and if I was ever laughing  uncontrollably on the phone Jolene knew it was either Sara or Tommy.I will never forget one call from Tommy after we had gotten into foster care.Tommy simply said after I said hello "take a gun and blow your brains out ,it would be quicker.Needless to say he thought I was crazy and maybe I was.It would be the first of many calls over the years and the beginning of a close relationship where we each talked of things that really mattered.One voice tempered by years of reason and one built on the philosophy of if it feels good do it.Each of us possibly wanting parts of what the other had.Once during a down time Tommy told me in a dead serious tone -"I'll come and get you and we will just go to this island and forget everything else.Of course I was the reluctant one and the moment passed as most moments like that do.No one can make me laugh as he did and I do miss those phone calls.I do hope I will see him on the other side but just in case I don't thank you God and get him there if you can.