While cleaning out an old computer recently, I found a copy of an essay Mike wrote while he was a senior in high school. The topic was about friends, and Mike had many. I thought some of you might enjoy what he wrote. — Bill
Mike Weaver
English 1101
Mr. Gerdes
November 3, 2000
What is a friend?
A friend is someone who over the years you have become close to, and because of this closeness, you trust them. Having good friends can be very helpful in getting through life. A good friend will help you through the bad times and also will be joyous with you in the good times. A friend can be someone who is nice and caring, but also someone who will give you a knuckle sandwich in the face if you need one. But a friend should also be honest and truthful so you know what they think.
The dictionary defines friend as a noun that means “a person whom one knows well and is fond of; an intimate associate; a close acquaintance; a person on the same side in a struggle, an ally, a supporter.” A friend is someone who supports you, who believes in you, who likes to be around you and who you like being around. A friend is someone who respects you and doesn’t often criticize you too much.
I like my friends to be smart and quick witted, so we have more fun together. This way we can laugh and tell jokes we both understand. Also, a friend should be truthful, because when you need an honest answer you should be able to go to your friend to get one. A good friend should be punctual so you can depend on them to be somewhere when they say they will.
I think there are three types of friends.
First, there are “school friends.” These are people who you see a few times a week at school or work. These people are usually people who you just met, because people who you’ve known for a long time are usually good friends or just acquaintances.
The next type of friend is the “old friend.” This is someone who at one time or another you were good friends with, but over time you stopped hanging out together and started to make new friends. Usually, when you see these people, the conversation is filled with comments like, “We should do something together,” or “Next time I’m doing something I’ll call you.” I’ve found out that most of the time you don’t call and almost always you don’t end up doing something.
The final type of friend is your “best friend.” These people are people you can trust and people who you have known for a very long time. They are usually good and honest people who like being around you, and you like being around them. These could be people who you grew up with or just people who you like being around.
Friends are people you should hook onto because you can always count on them. They help you enjoy the good times, and survive the bad times.
I think I liked your Mike a lot because when he and my Philip were together , they were so much alike…..easy-going , mischievous smile and tender tender hearts……always kind . I loved having him come to my folks cabin in Brooksville , so respectful to all…what a joy.
As Anonymous(?) said, and as you assumed, this is a family and friend type of thing. All of the answers to questions you may have about Mike are found deeper in this website. His history (at least some of it) is here, just look around, and begin with the “Who was Mike” link.
Mike was a family member and friend to many when he was shot and killed suddenly in 2003. To keep Mike’s spirit alive, while also helping his family and friends cope with the sudden loss of their son/friend/brother, etc., an award was created through his old little league to honor someone who enjoyed baseball just as much as Mike enjoyed the sport, as well as his love of living life. This website is used by those of us (friends and family) who want to get information about the award and events held in Mike’s honor. We also come here to sign Mike’s guest book – kind of like a way of picking up the phone to just say, “Hi”.
There is a lot of great information about Mike on this website. Check it out!