Danny Rogers
Joey,
I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Like mom mentioned in her comment, we had a lot of fun (what she and Maw Maw called "mischief"). I wouldn't trade a second of it.
We did a lot of life together growing up. From sailing on "Interlude and Chaos", to sneaking Maw-Maw's big ole Chrysler out at 2 AM, to the getting 'Monsooned' at Port o Call in the French Quarter, to installing car stereos (I never would ask you where they came from), to late-night walks to the "Corner Pak" because you needed cigarettes (I never understood how you did that barefooted), to driving to Mandeville High in your little blue truck with NO heat in the freezing cold and having to roll down the window because there was so much smoke, to selling each other cars (I still wish I hadn't sold you my MGB), to random late night fishing trips from Mandeville to Bay St. Louis (thanks for laughing at me when I fell off the bridge using the cast net), to swimming out to the little shack off the lakefront, to sharing girlfriends (not in that way, lol!), to swimming across Interstate Pond with Frank (I nearly drowned), to selling each other stereo equipment (once again, I never asked where it came from, and yes, I still have that turntable and your records), and so so so much more.
I still see your smile and hear your laugh. I'm just so sorry that we lost touch over the years. I had no idea that you'd even passed until a while back when I was trying to find you and I called Peggy. Dang. I miss you. I wrote a song for you today. It was cathartic and somewhat healing.
I love you man. I'm forever grateful to have grown up together and done so much life together. We didn't take pictures back then, but I've attached a photo from one of our birthday dinners at Rips on the Lake.
Until We Meet Again,
-Danny Rogers