Huricane, Thanks for that $100 clarification. I'll go into that general subject when I get the time and opportunity to write about my old friend (and sometimes enemy) .... Keith.
But since I just read ROCKET's most recent request ... ("The thing I'd most like stunt to confirm is that Keith didn't do as much as he could have, to mitigate his weight problems.").
Let me proceed to elaborate on that a bit.
That's one hell of a good question, ROCKET!
And a very difficult one to answer honestly with a simple "Yes" or "No", so I gotta tell you this story and let you decide what you consider the corrrect answer is.
First I gotta tell you that I knew Keith when he was pulling tires around Diamond Head, doing tv ads for McDonald's, Apple, and some shaving supplies along with another once-upon-a-time friend by the name of Don Ross.
Those were the good old days when Keith was in top shape and bending arms bigger than my torso (almost).
And those were the days when he was doing all he could for No Hope in Dope which organization I knew nothing about until Keith convinced me that it was organized to get kid's' lives back on track.
And those were the days when I had the pleasure of working with him as part of an athletic program for disadvantaged kids.
We knew each other in those good old days but not well enough to develop any sort of friendship until much later on when I came to realize that this guy was really a good person who really enjoyed helping others.
One days we all found ourselves helping the US Navy Special Service office at Pearl Harbor during their annual Bodybuilding and Physical Fitness Event.
There happened to be an hour break between events and we wanted to do something to hold the crowd in the seats during that lull.
So Keith stood up and took the mike and asked if there was anyone in the audiance who would like to challange him. About 30 of the navy guys jumped out of the audience and formed a line ....ready, willing, and able to accept the challenge.
So Keith lined them up with the smallest in the front of the line and the biggest guys at the rear of the line and announced to one and all that he would give $100 to anyone who beat him right there on the spot.
That offer got everyone motivated and eager to do some damage and leave that stage with a hundred dollars in their unbroken fist.
Within six minutes or less there were still about 10 bruisers ready to win that hundred but they too were gone six minutes later.
No one won that $100 but each contener had a great time trying.
And then a little 6 year old kid came on stage under the supervision and encouragement of his dad who held him up to the table ...... and guess what?!!
Yep! Keith lost!
But he didn't pay that kid $100.
But he did give the dad $10 for the kid's favorite ice-cream who left that stage with the biggest smile on any kid's face.
(Or so he told me much later.)
Keith was always there to support kids and grown-ups with this kind of activity.
And he always did it to the great enjoyment of all.
That was the good side of Keith.
But to be perfectly honest ....Keith had many "sides" which we'll explore eventually.
BUT ... regarding Keith's determination to lose a ton and a half of bodywt......
I myself weight 215 to 220 and can still outrun or outwalk most get biggers without tiring out.
And I say that because I've never seen Keith to eat a bigger portion that I enjoy myself.
He always ate less than I do and we had many a fine meal at most of the LV buffets, so I can say that as an absolute fact.
He never ate large portions of food, .... but what he did eat was certainly fattening.
He did like cookies, Key Lime Pie, and those red licorice things.
But never enough to blow him up to the weight he carried upon his death.
I honestly believe that his obese problem actually did have something to do with that damn spider bite, but I'm no spider expert and don't have any medical knowledge to ascertain that as a matter of fact.
In my attempt to be as honest as possilble here, I seem to be getting off subject but to answer you with complete honestly, ROCKET, .....
NO! Keith never did do enough to overcome his weight problem!
His big problem was that he never exercised enough and definitely not from eating too much.
We'd take him to the gym where he'd love to play handball.
But within five to ten minutes, he'd have to take a break and get some rest and spend the remainder of his "work out time" talking about his good old days when he was hard to beat at any sporting endeavor.
An there were always some athletes who were spellbound and willing to listen and ruin their own work out time in the process as a lot of them recalled him from his better days and always enjoyed those conversations.
Sorry for that but without an editor on my shoulder, it's simply the way I write first drafts.
More to come if there is any interest.
