Most of you have seen my Facebook post this past week about a contract I signed with a friend back in 1976 while we were in college. I want to share the whole story about that fun contract with you. But even more, I want to share what friendship is all about. Friends are forever.

Specifically, I want to talk about my and Roxie’s friend, Cindy Hansen. My wife Roxie and I have been very good friends with Cindy since ninth grade at Madison High School. Let’s go back to the 1970’s, Roxie and Cindy were in band together, Roxie played alto sax and Cindy the drums. I think that is where their friendship started after Roxie moved to Madison in 1972. They both hung out with the same friends and both belonged to the same church and youth group. All three of us were high school classmates and graduated from Madison High School in May of 1976. Fast forward to 2020 and we’re still good friends.

In the fall of 1976 we started college. Cindy and I both attended Alexandria Technical College and we both were in the Sales and Marketing Program. Our friendship remained close. After graduation from Alexandria both of us moved back to our hometown Madison and began working and starting our own families. Over these last forty some years Roxie and I have continued our friendship with Cindy and Gary. We were raising our kids at the same time and attended many of the same activities. Cindy is the person responsible for me covering tennis on the radio when her daughters played for LQPV/DB.

Last Friday, Cindy walked into the radio station and had a surprise for me that I am still smiling about. She wouldn’t tell me at first what she had, but all she wanted from me was a $5 bill. So I handed her a $5 bill, then she put in my hand a piece of paper. This piece of paper was written by me in 1976 when Cindy and I were in Alexandria. She had just found it in a box in her home. It was a hand written contract stating if Cindy was married by 1979 she owed me $5 if not I owed her $5. Long story short, I owed her $5 from a bet we had 44 years earlier! We both laughed and laughed and had a great time talking about that contract. I do actually remember doing this, however Cindy did not. She made my day and that is what friends do.

Cindy has hundreds and hundreds of pictures of her family and friends that were taken years ago and she often shares them with us. It really is amazing all the pictures and memorable things she has collected over the many years. I consider it a real blessing that she shares them. It is so much fun to look back and smile with her.

Cindy is really a true friend, she cares about everyone that is in her life, she does the little things. One day I came to work and there were pieces of a certain candy that I loved as a kid and didn’t know they still made it. I had mentioned that on the radio one day and Cindy heard it, so she went and bought some of the candy put it on my desk with a nice note. That is what she does. It’s her birthday on Wednesday, so lets shower Cindy with some love. She’s a great friend, always has been and always will be! Friends Forever.