Several years ago I developed an unlikely friendship with a fellow named Mike Armstrong when he joined my life group at church.

Although Mike was several years younger than the rest of our class he ended up with us because our leader offered to swing by his house and give him a lift to church since he couldn’t drive.

He couldn’t drive because he had suffered a stroke while undergoing heart surgery. As a result of the stroke he struggled with speech and balance issues.

I learned that he needed assistance getting to and from appointments, getting to the grocery and running little errands that would be easy for anyone else that could drive.

For me it was a no-brainer. I could drive and I had plenty of time on my hands. So we began getting together every week on Tuesday.

Every Tuesday we went to whatever restaurant Mike wanted to go to. We went to the bank, the pharmacy, Lowe’s, shopping; you name it and we probably did it. Tuesdays were for Mike.

One week we decided we’d try to eat at every burger joint in Paducah and find out who had the best burger in town. Neither of us had any idea there were so many burger places around here. I can now assure you there are plenty.

In the end Mike and I decided G & O Pharmacy was the winner of the burger competition. After that we honed in on sandwich eateries and determined PennStation had the best club, fries and cookies. I discovered Mike loved to eat.

He also loved Kentucky Fried Chicken and we drove up into Illinois to dine at what must be the world’s largest Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. It was impressive.

No matter what we did, we always finished up our day going to the grocery store.

While he shopped I sat in the parking lot and read books or listened to the radio. When he finished we’d load up the car, return to his place and carry everything inside.

Over the years we learned a lot about each other. We learned we had a few things in common. We could relate to our industrial experiences even though he was an engineer in a nuclear facility and I was a laborer in a paper mill. Mike loved sports. Football, basketball, soccer and everything in between. Me? Not so much, but I learned to be a good listener.

I found out his daughter and son excelled in soccer and football. I witnessed the pride he had for them and their successes as they grew into adulthood and established themselves in successful careers.

I shared in his excitement when he learned he was going to be a grandfather. He was over the moon! Then one day I got a call from him telling me that his daughter was in the hospital and the baby was on the way.

I’m pretty sure I broke a few traffic laws running to pick him up and getting him to the hospital that day. He said not to worry about it. His son was on the police force.

I also learned that everywhere I took him he was going to run into someone who knew him and wanted to stop and visit. He amazed me.

Mike was an extrovert. I’m an introvert. In all the years I knew him I have never seen him without a smile on his face. He was always upbeat and cheerful and it was contagious. You couldn’t help feeling better whenever you were around him.

Mike became a greeter and volunteered at one of the local hospitals two or three days a week. When I discovered what he was paying out a year for a bus to come pick him up at his home and take him to the hospital I was shocked.

But the cost didn’t bother him. Mike had a servant’s heart. He even became a greeter at church and would slip out of our class at 9:50 every Sunday morning so he could be at his station on time to greet people and hand out bulletins.

Eventually, keeping up his home and yard became too much for him and we went apartment hunting. Luckily, we found a nice one in town that was on a city bus route. After that he could go anywhere in town he wanted to if I wasn’t available.

The place had a swimming pool and a gym which were right up his alley. Do you remember me saying that Mike never met a stranger? The apartment complex became his domain and he prospered.

It wasn’t long before he was given the unofficial title of Mayor. Everyone knew him. Even the grounds keepers. A couple of young ladies even invited him to their destination weddings, and he went! I was told Aruba is a nice place to visit.

Over the course of the last few months I noticed a few changes in his health. He had more issues with his balance. Getting in and out of the car was becoming more difficult and I was having to listen a lot harder to understand what he was saying.

A few weeks ago I learned he was to go to Cleveland, Ohio in January to see a heart specialist about replacing his failing valve.

As usual he was upbeat and told me that after the upcoming surgery he’d be good for at least another ten years. I loved his optimism.

Well, yesterday was Tuesday. I got up and was going through my morning as usual before heading out to pick Mike up. Not long before I was to leave Tina received a message from our life group at church informing us that Mike had gone to be with Jesus earlier that morning.

Though I knew that day was a probability, I was still in shock. The rest of the day was a bit of a fog for me.

It hit me that my buddy wasn’t going be waiting in front of his apartment complex. Then it dawned on me Tuesdays would never be the same ever again.

Then something else hit me. There would be people that would miss seeing him, and I needed to do something about that.

My first stop was at the bank where he conducted his business. The ladies there always looked forward to seeing him drop by. The last time I took him there he had taken them Christmas cookies and donated presents for their toy drive. Mike was that kind of guy.

I had no clue who he saw when he went through those doors, but he said that they gave good hugs. I didn’t see any huggers when I went inside to deliver the sad news. Only a young man at the teller’s station who I told about Mike passing away. He said he didn’t know him, but he would pass the word along to others when he saw them.

I was a little sadder when I got back in the car and was about to leave the parking lot. I had struck out.

Suddenly, two ladies I hadn’t seen when I was in the bank rushed out the front door and motioned for me to stop. It was his friends. They were crying and appreciative I had taken time to let them know. They loved Mike. As usual, Mike was right. They did give good hugs.

My next step was at one of Mike’s favorite places to eat, PennStation. Tina and I went in and ordered his favorite club, fries and a cookie. I recognized most of the workers there, but didn’t see the owner. The lady who checked us out said that he had just stepped away for a while, but she’d let him know I wanted to see him when he returned.

So we took our seats and began to eat our lunch. We were almost finished when he came up to the table to see what I needed. I told him that Mike had passed away and for some strange reason I felt like Mike would have wanted him to know.

He was almost as stunned as I was when I heard the news. He said everyone behind the counter loved Mike and looked forward to seeing him when he came in. He said that he would wait until the end of their shifts to let them know. He was afraid it would be too upsetting for some of them to find out and be able to continue working.

A few hours later he somehow managed to message me and let me know PennStation would like to provide food for Mike’s family during the visitation and time before the funeral.

Wow. That was nice. I have no idea how he managed to find out who I was or how to contact me. He didn’t know who I was.

Mike Armstrong impacted so many lives while on this planet. I am thankful mine was one of them. I will really miss him and the times we spent together. He taught me a lot.

That being said, there is one thing I am certain of. When I arrive at the gates of heaven it will probably be on a Tuesday. Mike will be well tanned, standing out front in a pair of shorts, a tee shirt, smiling and greeting everyone as they arrive. He will no longer have any use for that old cane of his and he will have already tried out every place there is to eat in heaven.

So long my friend. Save me a seat

_______________
Rick Algood
January 1, 2025