VW Addict 
Samba Salesman
Joined: January 09, 2003
Posts: 3920
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 Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 2:17 pm Post subject: "Hello From an Hour Away!" |
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This short story starts about 15 years ago. I was living in Caribou, Maine and my passion was Volkswagens and even though I owned a few, I was still too young to drive. So, it was always a predicament trying to find my way downstate on a 500 mile round trip going to the only and closest VW show in Maine and the occasional Busses By The Buoy weekend camping adventure in September. Not many people lived up in the county, and of that not many people consisted of even fewer people who had a passion for vintage VW's. My friends who too were neither old enough to drive or who just didn't share the same passion as I did for Volkswagens were not way of getting me to the shows. So, needless to say - if there was will, there is a way and since most VW people are friendly and would go out of their way for other VW heads- I thought, perhaps I could make new friends in the club quickly. With that, I did some research, starting with where all the club Members in Maine lived. (Of course 95% of them lived south of Bangor, but there were a few up North)...and one particular one from the county, Mike Collum who this story is about.
After finding his phone number, one summer afternoon out of the blue, I called Mike. I explained to him I was just a teenager, from Caribou who had a passion for VW's and had been to the shows before, but was looking for a way down to Busses by the Buoy. Mike proceeded to tell me that him and his wife went to the campout every year and if I got a ride to and from Houlton, he would gladly let me ride down and back with them. I quickly took him up on the offer. Mike is a Vanagon nut. He could tear a Vanagon apart with his eyes closed.
Houlton Maine is an hour from Caribou, but since it is south, it is in the direction needed to go to these VW shows. Prior to, I had convinced my mother dropping me off at his house the morning of departure. I was so mature and independent as a young teenager, that she had complete confidence in me, plus I think she trusted VW people; as most of us tend to give off good vibes. Whether or not she doubted her decisions with me sometimes, I am not sure- but she always trusted me and knew I could take care of myself if need be, and needless to say, things always had a way of taking care of themselves. (Some of you may remember Mike and his wife camping at Busses By The Buoy every year back in the late 90's/early 2000's. He primarily drove a 1985 Westfalia, which he still owns today. Or you may have been lucky enough to eat one of his wife's delicious breakfast burritos. If you did, you would still remember them to this day, they were so delicious.)
So off we went, on I95 to the campout. And although I wasn't too keen on Vanagons, it was a free ride downstate to the show and the company was even better. I only traveled with Mike and his wife once. The year after, I was finally old enough to drive and had driven myself down and would still run into Mike now and then at the shows, but eventually he stopped going and I just lost contact with Mike.
Last I heard from Mike was almost ten years ago. We lost touch completely. Come to find out, Mike took sick and stopped going to the shows and camping. Just recently, after speaking with a good friend of mine up in Maine, Kevin - I asked about Mike. Kevin proceeded to tell me that the last time which he heard from him was how he moved to Virginia to be with his sister because he wasn't doing very well and how the hospitals were better down south for his illness. Kevin also said it had been several years since he heard from him.
Just recently and thanks to the world of facebook, and almost ten years of any contact with Mike, I was able to find him and chat with him. Mike does in fact, now live in a small town in Virginia. Oddly enough, he is exactly an hour from where I live now in Tennessee. We both live over 1000 miles where we once were, but this time I am an hour south of him, instead of vice-versa. After reuniting on facebook, we chatted for almost an hour, where we exchanged phone numbers and address' and I told him to leave the coffee pot on for me if he wants some company some afternoon. He immediately took my offer and is expecting my visit soon. Mike says he wasn't doing very well for awhile, but is doing better now and although still on dialyses for several hours a day, he is feeling better and looking forward to driving his Westfalia again soon. He also told me that he is planning a trip back to Maine in July, where he still owns his house In Maine.
I plan on making a trip to see him soon - and sharing his company again, talking about Volkswagen stories! I'm glad we re-united and that is he still with us, and recovering from his illness- Here is to you, Mike! I hope the road to recovery is quick and strong so you can enjoy your Westy again soon! Looking forward to that cup of Jo- |
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madmike
Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2005
Posts: 5292
Location: Atlanta,Michigan
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| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 5:16 am Post subject: Re: "Hello From an Hour Away!" |
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Sorry for your loss , 
_________________
'Black Ice'Drag Buggy 'Turbo'
Rail Buggy 1915 turbo
76 Drag/Street bug 2180cc 'Turbo' 11:85 @113 mph"If I go any faster I'll burn up the Hamster" ,gets 28 mpg. also 10/09/22 11.90 @115 mph
"If I'm ever on Life Support,UNPLUG Me, Then Plug me back In see if that Works" |
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