Hey, Man! It’s Super!

B’Man: I wrote this in June of 1998 and was the first thing actually ever published in a newspaper (accidentally, at that). I was thinking about Super today and thought this little dedication to him would be a good way to introduce this crazy bastard to the Blog.

Hey, Man!

How many times did Super say hello this way? Countless times- almost never failed. Over the years all the “Tree Gang” picked up the salutation and have used it many times ourselves. To this day, it is a common ‘hello’ from me.

You could alway count on Super coming up with some “off the wall” comment or nickname. You could always count on Super coming out to see you at the “Tree”. He would walk over and say, “Hey, Man!” and then it would begin- some story about the lake; or, the latest gossip spread around town (darn, if he didn’t know everything before it became ‘public’); or, Lord knows what he might dazzle you with next.

You could count on things from Super that would amaze many people. Super would do anything he could for you when you needed help. Super suffered many trials and tribulations in life, but always had a kind word for you, no matter how tough life had been for him that day. During some of the toughest times of my life, Super was there for me.

A mutual friend told me last night, Super was one of the few people that ask about his children, every time he saw him. He genuinely cared about his friends and their families.

As a teen (Super was 6 years older than I), I used to wonder what made this guy “Super”. I thought he was “trying to be cool”. Over the years, the “Tree Gang” began and I was welcomed as a member. Although I had been an acquaintance of Super’s for a while, I never truly knew him. Over time, Super had “Hey, Man’d” me enough to warm up to me. This is when I became his friend and started understanding him.

You see, “Trying to be cool” was not the issue. Super was being Super! Anybody that knows Super (and there are many that knew Super better than I) knows that Super was himself- there will and can never be another one like him. This is what Super taught me: Cool is just being yourself. No airs are necessary, no lies, and no misunderstandings. If you like someone, enjoy his or her company, if you don’t, don’t associate with them.

Super opened his home to friends. Super opened his grand old oak tree to the “Tree Gang”, furnishing a meeting place; a place to get a good laugh; and a place to ‘rest’ from the gruel of cruising “The Strip” (back then the Strip went all the way to the Spur station). You could always find folks to socialize with at the “Tree”. If you were down and out, you could find solace at the “Tree”.

Many of the “Tree Gang” met under the “Tree” the night Super died- we were all sort of drawn to it. Several members were not there physically, but we felt them there nonetheless. We talked about Super washing a car, us pulling up and Super walking over and saying “Hey, Man!”. We remembered when Super put the picnic table underneath the “Tree” so Dog, Elmo, L.P., and all the rest of the “Tree Gang” would have a place to sit and eat lunch. We sat there and told story after story of the “Tree” and the Spur parking lot happenings late at night.

Super truly gave us a home away from home with that “Tree”. It will always be a source of comfort, laughs and stories of the Good Ole Days. There have been several generations of the “Tree Gang”, a few frequent it today. That night was a gathering of representatives from all these genrations and the common thread is that we all loved Super and his “Tree”. He was a good friend and I will miss him dearly. All the “Tree Gang” will.

Hey, Man! We love you!

B’Man: Super was 45 years old when he died. I knew him at least 20 years and became pretty close the last two after a mutual friend died of cancer (Dog, in my memorial: I intend to write about him, too… I great friend and human being).

We lived in a small town close to Pickwick Lake (TN) and on this lake is a waterfall that we had grown up jumping and, if brave enough, diving from. It was multi-leveled (approximately 20′, 28′ & 35′ with the bravest climbing trees and diving from the very top (50′, maybe). We had grown up diving from the lower levels, but “Super” thought he was still Super Man at 45, dove off from 35′ and wasn’t seen again, until divers found him a few hours later.

The Waterfalls are located in a cove that is over run with boats during the summer. Hundreds of boats tied together having a blast… one huge party.

That day there was the usual party and Dog’s wife was with Supe’ (that’s what I called him) and Lessie (Supe’s wife). When he dove and didn’t come up, there were many friends and onlookers freaking out and kept diving for him for 2 hours, but couldn’t find him. None of us could believe it. I swear he had gone off that same place 100’s of times.

He had a rep in town, which, if you knew him, you knew it was a joke. I’ll share some stories about Super some day. He was a crazy character. I miss him.

B’Man’s Hometown Update

Reading this week’s weekly subscription to my hometown paper from Iuka, MS (The Tishomingo County Vidette) I find that The Tish County Braves are heading to the state baseball playoffs (ranked 11th in the state). The coach is a highschool classmate (about 3 years older). He always has an awesome team.

Secondly, A.T. Marlar, Jr (Burnsville Alderman) was arrested and arraigned last week after being indicted for prescription fraud. Hypocrite.

Also, a buddy of mine had his house broken in to by a nephew of his third wife’s (boy’s a crack head). Old Wallinski was a crazy man in high school. He got tore up on ludes one night, left a party and was found a couple miles down the street (by the cops) just sitting there on the side of the road… UPSIDE DOWN, strapped into the driver’s seat. He had lost control, flipped her and simply sat there and slept for a bit.

When he realized the cops were knocking on the window, he started frantically turning the key so he could drive away. Hot pursuit, as it were.

Swear to God that’s true. He is a Nice ‘Un, as we say.