I was born into having a best friend who is my brother George and then my neighbors who aren’t friends but brothers, Jamel and Peyton (see my column, “The Real ‘Four Brothers’ in last September’s issue for that story).
I want to talk about my actual best/longest friends Karl Kelly and DJ Powlish. Before I met them, I went to the JCC for preschool (Jewish Community Center). I was the only non-Jewish person there but who cares, it’s a pre-school. While I was there, from what I remember, I had a “best friend,” and his name was Ben. If Ben is reading this and remembers this, what’s up dude? How’s life?
My journey with my two longest best friends started in first grade with Karl. There was a competition within our first grade Incarnation class. You had to dress the same as another person in class. The day came where you had to pick a partner and no one picked me. I felt like the kid in gym class who got picked last. I knew just about everyone in the class, because I went to kindergarten with all of these people the year prior except one kid. This kid came into Incarnation from the Lanning school and I remember vividly saying, “he’s a weird kid,” and I don’t want to be around that dude. That “weird” brown haired dude and I were the only two kids without partners. Darn it, I get the “weird “kid! We were the bad kids in class so no one wanted to partner with us. He came right up to me and said, “I guess it’s just us two.” He then said these words that we still say to each other 33 years later—“Hey, we should be ninjas.”
There was no other option and he was super serious so… We became ninjas! Of course with the help of his dad. We didn’t win best costume. Hell, we didn’t even place. That’s not the point. I gained my best friend who has been with me for my entire life. Karl played baseball, and he was really good at it. I played soccer, and I was decent. I joined a travel soccer team when I was in 4th grade called the Rebels, but it didn’t work out because I was younger, smaller and timid, so I joined the team that was younger called West End United and where the kids were actually my age.
Every kid on the team went to a different school than me, so I was basically the odd ball. The coaches of the team were Mike Stanzione and Justin Burroughs. They saw something in me that I never saw and put me at the sweeper position.
If you don’t know soccer, the sweeper is the eyes and ears of the team. It all starts with the sweeper. My confidence grew at this point. My mom had become team manager and her co-manager was another teammates mom. That teammate was DJ. We joined a league in South Jersey and our travel time was over an hour for each away game. I didn’t think I was popular until half the team wanted to drive in my mom’s van to the away games. My mom in the driver’s seat blasting my favorite music: Biggie, Nas, Lost Boyz. My mom loved it, but she needed help. My teammate DJ’s mom jumped into the passenger seat to help with directions and DJ hopped in the van.
From that moment on, DJ became my best friend. Wait, don’t forget about my other best friend, Karl. How weird is this? Karl and DJ had already been good friends since they were about 5 years old when they played T-ball together. This whole time I thought I brought this whole trio together. Well, I still kinda did. Back to the story. They both grew up from being 5 years old and went to different schools and we all know what happens. You hang out with the people at your school.
Fast forward to after high school, these two dudes both joined the Army and have become best friends with each other again. Karl and I were in DJ’s wedding, and DJ and Karl were in my wedding. I’m so proud the three of us have stuck together through everything—even when they both lit me on fire when we were 13. But that’s another story for another day.
Marriage, babies, career changes and the death of my mom. These two men were the first to reach out and show up for me. They both will hate this column because they don’t like this lovey-dovey stuff. I mean they ARE military guys.
I was always the softie of the three. I love these guys, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I called them both prior to writing this column to ask for their input and I got the same response from both of them—“Really bro?”
My bad fellas. They called my mom their mom, and I do the same with their moms. I know they took it hard when “our” mom died but we all stuck together like we have our whole lives. I know you both hate recognition but I sincerely love you both!
Donnie Black was born and grew up in Ewing Township. He currently works at radio station XTU in Philadelphia as a producer, on air personality and promotions director.
,
