Looking back, I realized I didn't have any actual friends in the two years after I had graduated from college. I mean, there were a couple of people I went to school with who stopped by the house during the summer of 1986, but that was it. The people I socialized the most were those I worked with. So, it came as a total shock to me in Denver that someone wanted to hang out with me.
I met Rid during my third day working at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre. He was 19 at the time, tall and had short dark hair. We were both working at the same kiosk. I was cashiering and he was getting any food and drinks that were being ordered by my customers. These two women ordered beers and Rid said, "No! Don't sell them any beer!" I asked why. "Well, look at them." By that, he meant that we had been told that if customers appeared to be really drunk, we weren't supposed to serve them. But I had no idea what "really drunk" looked like aside from someone being passed out on the ground, so I went ahead and sold them the beers.
While we were working, Rid and I talked a bit more to each other between orders. I don't remember much of the discussion because so much was going on. We would continue to work together. More often than not, we were in the back kitchen at one of the main stands. There were a couple of other guys who worked with us, and we became a bit of a team. One night, Rid found out that all of us played instruments and said we should try getting a band together. We went to the house of one of the other guys. Somehow, somebody was able to get some beer. We sat around in the basement, talked about what kind of band we should have, what kind of songs we should write and generally griped about the way the supervisors treated us, particularly this one female, who we admitted being attracted to. We discussed writing a song about her and were tossing around ideas for lyrics, like "It'll be a cold day in hell before I f*** you!" I went home and actually wrote that song, but with different lyrics.
One night after work, Rid wanted to hang out before going home. He wanted to drive around town a bit. First we had to drive to my uncle Ord's house to drop off my car. We started driving up I-25. Rid decided we should go to Perkins Restaurant to get something to eat. So we drove all the way over to Lakewood. Perkins was on the opposite side of the street, so Rid got into the left hand lane and made a U-turn when the light turned green. He said to me, "I didn't see a 'No U-Turn' sign, did you?" I wasn't really paying attention. Rid parked the car. We walked toward the front door. The next thing we knew, there were lights flashing behind us and someone was yelling, "Hold it right there!" We turned around. It was the cops!
"What did we do wrong, officer?" he asked. "Didn't you see that 'No U-Turn sign?'" "No." "Well, you're going to get a ticket!" Rid gave the officer his ID and had go to into the car and get his registration and proof of insurance. I had to stand there next to the front door. While he was getting that, another patrol car pulled up. After he gave the information to the officer, he came back to join me. Then, we saw another patrol car come into the parking lot, but this one made a U-turn at the same light we were at. Rid started walking toward the officer to protest. "You just stay right where you are!" "But that police car just made a U-turn there! I shouldn't have to get a ticket!" "That's different!" After about 20 minutes, they finally gave Rid a ticket and left. We went inside the restaurant. Rid said, "Well, that's the first time I've ever gotten a ticket... in Lakewood!"
We sat down and Rid ordered something that wasn't on the menu. He wanted some toast with parmesan cheese on it. I've never tried to order anything that wasn't on the menu. I still don't to this day. I don't remember what I ordered, but I know it was probably something light. I'd already had my fill of hot dogs, pretzels and nacho cheese at work.
I didn't realize it at the time, but an encounter with police early in a friendship is a true bonding experience. If it hadn't been for that, we probably would have gone our separate ways after the season at Fiddler's ended. Nothing more happened with the Wergens and I never saw the two other guys again.
I will be writing pretty extensively about my adventures with Rid while I cover the period of my life in which I lived in Denver. There's so much that happened, I can't really cover it in just a couple of posts and be done with it. He was a major part of my life during the three years that I lived in Denver.
There are just a couple of things you need to know about Rid. First, he made friends very easily. There was so much going on in his life that I wasn't really a part of. There were mutual people that we knew, but I didn't realize how closely my identity was tied with him until I showed up at Rock Island by myself and saw several people we knew there. Every one of them, upon seeing me, would ask, "Where's Rid?" I really didn't have very many other friends.
Rid was rather popular with women. You wouldn't think it to look at him, but he had that kind of winning personality that went over well with everyone he met. You need to know that Rid was a romantic chameleon. If a woman he met was a vegetarian, he would become a vegetarian, and a rather pushy one at that. If a woman he liked was into skinheads, then he became a skinhead and would spout out racist propaganda. But as soon as it was over with the woman in question, he would go right back to being his regular self.
Since I left Denver, Rid has been married three times, joined the Navy, had two sons from two different women (one of whom was born while I still lived in Denver) and now has two grandkids, both of whom were born before my son. He now lives in Leavenworth, KS. I only ever met his second wife and have spent time with both of his sons. We remain friends on Facebook.
So, look for Rid to make numerous appearances on this blog. If it wasn't for him, I would have had no social life in Denver.
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