Alan and I were pretty close friends when we were very young - grade school, junior high. He would come over to my house and we would practice magic tricks and play board games. We drifted apart as the high school years approached, and I've always regretted that. Alan was a quiet person, not an athlete or popular guy (I certainly wasn't either) but he was genuine in everything he said and did. I remember two incidents about Alan I'll share. He once took the blame for something I did in class. In about the 3rd or 4th grade, I tore a page out of a text book and Alan took the blame for it because he didn't want me to get in trouble. I already had 2 marks by my name and if I got a 3rd, I had to go see the principal. Guess I was a bad kid that day. ;) Another time when we were a bit older, some guy at school hit Alan, and he refused to hit him back. The guy hit him one or two more times, and still Alan didn't hit back. It wasn't because he was afraid to fight, but some people saw it that way. Alan was tough. It was because he was afraid of getting in trouble with his dad, who had told him not to get in any fights. So Alan turned the other cheek, and obeyed his dad. I always wondered how many other people could have done that. Alan was a good person. I wish we had remained closer friends. Alan, I miss you. -Mike
Mike Christian
Alan and I were pretty close friends when we were very young - grade school, junior high. He would come over to my house and we would practice magic tricks and play board games. We drifted apart as the high school years approached, and I've always regretted that. Alan was a quiet person, not an athlete or popular guy (I certainly wasn't either) but he was genuine in everything he said and did. I remember two incidents about Alan I'll share. He once took the blame for something I did in class. In about the 3rd or 4th grade, I tore a page out of a text book and Alan took the blame for it because he didn't want me to get in trouble. I already had 2 marks by my name and if I got a 3rd, I had to go see the principal. Guess I was a bad kid that day. ;) Another time when we were a bit older, some guy at school hit Alan, and he refused to hit him back. The guy hit him one or two more times, and still Alan didn't hit back. It wasn't because he was afraid to fight, but some people saw it that way. Alan was tough. It was because he was afraid of getting in trouble with his dad, who had told him not to get in any fights. So Alan turned the other cheek, and obeyed his dad. I always wondered how many other people could have done that. Alan was a good person. I wish we had remained closer friends. Alan, I miss you. -Mike