A Life Long Friend Has Been My Best Xmas Gift Ever !

By Twomucht, Topix National News Editor,

Ask Santa next year for a friend for life. Chances are this kind of gift will last longer than the one you are now getting tired of, already. Ho! Ho ! Ho ! Merry Christmas !

Here is a true story about two boys from Georgia. They are of different races and cultures. Yet against all odds, these two guys became brothers of a different mother, and have remained, as close as, they were forty years ago.

For the last four decades, Tom Livsey and Barry Thrope have been lifelong friends, who have been able to finish each others sentences, even if they have been separated from each other for years.
"I know it sounds kind of crazy how close we have remained so tight, without any kind of casual communications needed", exclaims Tom Livsey .

He adds, "Here's the thing, we could have been kept separated from each other, on complete opposite sides of the world, and in less than 15 minutes, be it in person, over the Internet, or by phone, we can still be able to read each other's mind, and be able to finish each other's sentences."

Though a normal Christmas gift like a Hot Wheel, a bike, a race track, or even a go cart, will eventually find themselves broken down , stolen or somehow simply just get neglected. Ask Santa next year for a friend for life. !

Here is the story of our lifelong friendship.

We met in elementary school, and soon we were in the same Boy Scout Troop, that his dad and mom were closely involved in. Either we had the same classes, or spent time at recess, we created a bond like brothers.

As we entered the same middle school, we maintained a sense of separation, but the lesser time , that we did have to share was still the same. Each grade, we found ourselves following our own predetermined paths. We had two of the highest I.Q.'s in our school.

He pursued to refine his attributes in communications and debate, while I found myself breaking racial barriers, and becoming more a part of the school's football team.

This process continued until we both graduated. Barry was accepted with a educational scholarship, and though I had numerous football scholarships from many of the SEC universities, I decided to stay at home, and go to Georgia State University, in Atlanta, Ga.

Now, here is what I am trying to tell you about 'Real Friends'.

After a year at GSU, I became, as acclimated as, I was at high school. Either if I was walking down the hall, good looking girls came up to me, as if they knew me. Well they did, from my presence at the huge seminar rooms(Stadiums).

I always sat on the front row, right in front of each of my professors. So, at a risk of sounding too facetious, every fraternity on campus wanted me, and everyone else knew me, along with ALL the pretty girls, who needed after class, 'Tutoring' ?

My M. O. , was to be the first student to leave any test exam. This test day was no different from any other. I finished my hundred question test in less than ten minutes. So, I was planning to head over to the library, to study for my next one, across the 'Plaza'.

That's when I heard some obnoxious guy yelling, "Tommy...Tommy".

But with a common name like I had, and over thousand students in the plaza, I continued to walk toward the library. But then I heard this same voice sound like he was following me.

And again, he shouted, " Tommy...Tommy". But the last time he yelled he said my full name, "Tommy Livsey" !

I stopped and turned around. Through over three hundred students in between the two of us, my eyes sifted through bodies, until they focused on a person familiar. My best buddy was back.

To all of you, who are wondering when this story will end, well let me just let you know. From that meeting in the plaza, at GSU, we blazed another trail together. The first one was becoming two of the youngest stockbrokers in the state of Georgia.

A few months later, we became investment bankers, at the same firm. We became roommates. In the good times we flourished, made fistfuls of cash. In bad times, we were thrown on our ass.

" We were like Sun Dance and Butch Cassidy. We controlled any situation, to a point. No matter the situation around us, we stayed simply, Barry and Tommy.

Incidentally to keep it real, I want to give a shout out to our moms, who helped bailed us out, when most of our chips were temporarily down . " reveals Tom.

After two years after a major accident, Barry welcomed me back as a roommate. Six months later, somehow, I let a beautiful blond, entice me to leave him, for our own pad, with the lease.

Within eighteen months, my gorgeous baby doll, accused me of cheating on her, and changed the locks to our condo. I was disgusted and appalled at the false accusations. In need of a place to regroup, I called Barry, and he simply said, "Come on over".

Understand, I could have called a thousand other people.Although these incidences were many years ago, last night, Barry called me. He told me that he had just went through a traumatic situation with his beautiful wife.

Surely with thousands of other people he could have phoned, he called me first, like I did back then. Like we have so many times before...we still reach out to each other, first!

So Merry Christmas to the little ones. In about two days when you get tired of playing with your brand new toys, you need to start a new Xmas List. 'A Life Long Friend', should be at the top of it next year !
Thank you Barry, for being my life long friend !

Do any of you have a life long friend ? Why not let me know, by leaving a comment below:

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