Me And Tip & Ray: A Kid Story

I sit here writing this kinda wondering why... then I thought, it's because I miss my friend. I'm really not even sure how to go about writing it! I have this perception that politicians are generally a bunch of scumbags that aren't worth $0.35 for the bullet to shoot them... except for two...

Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill once quipped that "all politics are local." He was 100% correct and he embodied that sentiment. I lived three doors down and across the street from the O'Neills lived on Russell St. in north Cambridge, back in the 70's when we lived there. There were four of us, all Vietnam vets, the Wilcox brothers, Bruce (1st Air Mobile- door gunner), Doug (1st Recon- Marines), John Mason (101st Airborne) and me. We had all pitched in and rented this huge brick house in north Camb. and we were a pretty motley looking crew.

We used to spend evenings sitting on the porch in front, drinking beer and attempting to assist the government in their efforts to burn illegal marijuana by burning as much as we could afford. When Tip was in town (which was as often as possible) you would run into him at Pemberton's Market, or on the street. That guy knew everybody, not only knew them, but their families as well: and he called them all by name! he'd come strolling down Russell St. and I think it was John called out "Hey, Mr. Speaker- how about a beer?" He came right in the yard like he knew us all our lives and told us he was glad we were there to "keep an eye on the neighborhood." We offered him a joint, but he declined. When we called him Mr. Speaker, he said "It's Tip... I'm just Tip." When he spoke, you knew he cared about the people he represented, unlike 99.9% of the rest of the Washington crowd. One year in a blizzard, we went and shoveled out Millie's (Tip's wife) driveway and walk... she was getting pretty old and had to get around with Tip in Washington. She tried to pay us but that isn't right... They were one of a kind, the O'Neills may God bless them both.

RAY:
I hadn't thought about Ray for a while now... he passed in 2011, I got back from up North just in time for his funeral. It's funny when I met Ray... I was managing cemeteries here in Ft. Smith and there was one for some big shot from the city. Terry Campbell, from the funeral home and I were at the entrance directing traffic and shooting the shit when an old beat up Dodge Dart (circa 1978) comes pulling in and a guy in his 60's I'd have guessed got out. He was dressed in a tweed sports coat and a tie that went out of style in 1977. He walked up and addressed us by name and started talking to us both like he's known us for years. After a while he gets back in his car and says "I guess I better get to the service."

I turned to Terry and ask, "Who the hell was that?"

Terry goes, "That's Ray Baker, the Mayor."

"How the hell does he know me?" I ask him.

Terry laughed, "He knows everybody."

Well, one thing about being human is that everybody dies and one thing about being mayor, you get to go to a lot of funerals. Ray and I got to be good friends. As it turns out, Ray taught History in the high school for decades before becoming mayor. he was beloved as a teacher and as mayor as well. He ran unopposed many times... he always put the good of Ft. Smith first. He would come by the cemetery and we'd talk history for hours. When his mom passed away, he insisted I be at the funeral. I made sure the cemetery looked particularly good for my friend's mom. Then it was his turn and it saddened me... I miss our chats.

I hadn't thought about Ray much lately, but the other day, my phone rang and it was Ray's sister, Toy. After the usual pleasantries, she informed me that she had written a book about his life and she wanted me to have a copy... that I was in it.

There aren't very many politicians that I would want to claim as acquaintances, much less friends- but Tip and Ray are two exceptions.