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| A young Moonmando (with my pup Zara) in 1986 |
Long-time readers may remember regular commenter Moonmando, who at one time used to grace us with his entertaining and interesting remarks in response to my woeful waffle. Just spoke to him not long ago today, but it's with a heavy heart I now reveal to fellow Crivvies that he was recently diagnosed with inoperable liver and bowel cancer and his time is severely limited. His immediate family are devastated of course, as are his many friends, and it's hard to believe that someone I've known since we were schoolkids will, when the time comes, no longer be there for me to bore witless by droning on about my new acquisitions of toys and comics.
I know you have your own problems, Crivs, but spare a thought and a prayer for Moonmando - alias Matthew Caldwell - someone who anyone would be proud to call friend. The world needs more guys like him, not less. Is it just me, or does life seem to get more sh*t the older we get?
******
(Update:) Matt passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of this morning (14th February) at the hospice he'd been in for the last several weeks. He'll be much missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to know him. Hard to believe we first became friends around 50 years ago. R.I.P., Moonie - you won't be forgotten.
28 comments:
Sad news indeed Kid. Sending my thoughts and best wishes to him and his family...and yourself.
Thanks, Norman. And best wishes to you and yours as we all embark on our journey through 2023.
Simply devastating news Kid. My thoughts are of course with Matthew and his family and friends at this time . Take care
Thanks, McS, I'm sure Matt will appreciate your kind thoughts. The situation still seems surreal to me, and not a notion that's easy to come to terms with.
Sorry to hear. Alas we seem to be at that point in our lives when people are going.
Yes indeed, PS. Our batteries are running down and unfortunately they're not rechargeable ones.
My thoughts go to his family and close friends. Everyone should enjoy all the quality time now they can have with him.
My condolences and sympathies to Mr. Caldwell and his family, and to you. Losing friends, however we do it, always leaves a mark.
Thanks, LH & RJ. He's more accepting of his fate than I'd be, were I in his situation.
Kid, in a reply to Paul McScotty in the previous post you mentioned a lifetime friend and Crivens commenter who was in a hospice and I wondered if you meant Moonmando but I didn't want to pry. This is terribly sad news for his family and for you as his friend and for us fellow commenters on Crivens. Life is described as a "vale of tears" which is so often true and, as you know, my sister died aged just 19 when I was 22 so I've been painfully aware for much of my life that death is a constant companion on our journey.
Yes, it was Moony in the hospice, CJ, but he's now back home for the moment. Your sister sadly never even got a proper shot at life, and at least one of my school pals died around the age of 18 or 19. I often think I should be more grateful at getting this far, and feel that too many people are cheated of a decent span.
Absolutely sad. Tell your friend I, a perfect stranger, wish him peace in these troubled times. I've lost my entire family to various cancers, and i almost succumbed as well. I've accepted that will be my future fate, and i plan on quietly enjoying each day for what it is. Peace to him, his family, and to his friends. I wish the world was a gentler place.
Thanks for the kind words Kid. Really appreciate it.
I spend more and more of my time these days, reminiscing on a past that no longer resembles this current period of time.
Everything changes so quickly, but I guess none more so than the town we grow up in and it definitely isn’t for the better.
The days of us as schoolboys throwing our coats on,on a fine winters evening off exploring our local areas and haunts and like the mole and ratty blathering endlessly on about everything from the latest Spider-Man to the current edition of POTA.
There were always reference points along the way, in the form of familiar churches, play parks, shopping centres and schools, where lived we triggering even further thoughts and discussions.
Ours was a smaller world than most, although we did on occasion breach much larger issues, though not for long though.
You’ve been a good friend all my life Kid even though there were times I hadn’t seen you for wee extended periods, it was always with a gladdened heart whenever we did catch up again.
Perhaps we’ll meet again on the other side, and like good friends, simply start off where we left off with barely a heartbeat bridging the gap.
Thanks also to too, to all your Crivite friends for their kind words. I really have no idea how long I’ve got as Doctors tend to be either evasive or vague concerning these things. Could be longer or shorter but to be honest it’ll happen soon enough.
Moonmando x
Thanks, LM, and Moony himself (as you can see in his comment) thanks you all for your kind thoughts. Sad to hear about your family, and I hope you've got plenty of years ahead of you yet.
******
Those were the days, eh, Moony? Meeting at Robbie's house in the mornings to go to school, and dogging school on my 16th birthday and exploring that deserted old house in the village, along with another schoolkid who attached himself to us for the day near South Park Primary. That old house was bereft of floorboards upstairs and we had to navigate the joists to avoid plunging into the empty living-room below. Before that, though, prior to wee John (I even remember his name) joining us, we carved our initials into the bark of a tree in the woods across from Canberra school, with a knife I'd been given as a gift by the landlady of that year's holiday home in Blackpool, where I and my parents had stayed in June or July. She'd probably be prosecuted for giving a big penknife to a kid nowadays, though it was obviously a 'bribe' to entice my parents to rent a room from her again. And they may well have done, but it was the last holiday I ever went in my life.
Well, I say 'we' carved our initials, but yours never came out too well - though mine remained for years while the tree still stood. I used to visit it to look at my initials for years afterwards, and I think there's even a photo on the blog somewhere. Happy days indeed, and ones I often look back on fondly, though I'm not sure whether you'll even remember our skipping school that day. I recall watching Raiders Of The Lost Ark (first time I saw it) in your parent's living-room in Canberra Drive in the early or mid-'80s and your missus (Heather) being convinced that Karen Allen was Margot Kidder from Superman The Movie.
I could go on and on (and everyone probably fears that I will), but I'll spare you from sensory overload in the memories department, apart from one last thing. As mentioned in another post (Duncanrig Dougie), a teacher (Mr. Smith) gave me a couple of quid for having illustrated a South Lanarkshire Schools' project, and that very day after school, we descended on the town centre and pigged out on some cream cakes from the baker's shop along from Woolworth's. Great days, great friend. Here's to you, Moonie.
Wow! Genuinely very humble and humbling words from Moonie. A wonderful outlook from a wonderful friend of yours Kid .
Thanks, McS. He's not a bad lad at all, eh? Never done anyone a bad turn in his life either.
My deepest condolences on the death of your friend, Kid, but I'm glad to hear he went peacefully. I know you're a big fan of 'Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads' so I'm sure you know that it's now 50 years since the first series was broadcast in early 1973. I've just finished watching both series on YouTube and I was struck by the very poignant lines from the theme tune:
Tomorrow's almost over
The day went by so fast
It's the only thing to look forward to...
The past
It made me think of somebody at the end of his life who sees that what was once the future is now almost all behind him and his journey is complete.
Very sorry Kid for the loss of your good pal, Matt.
I got a jolt just then, when I noticed the sad update to your post.
Take care and best wishes from Big D
Sorry to hear the sad news, Kid.
I'm currently trying to find a lost fan film on Spider-Man. I'm curious if you know anything: https://buddyscartoons.blogspot.com/p/give-us-spider-man-vs-kraven-hunter.html
Take care in the new year!
Hi Kid, sorry I didn't see your update note until today. So sorry to hear about your friend Matt. As alway commiserations to Matts family and friends. Take care of yourself losing a good pal can take its toll. Those great memories you have of Matt, when the pain moves on will be a great comfort to you of better times.
Thanks for the kind thoughts, CJ, Big D, BH, & McS, and apologies for taking so long to reply. I recently received an urgent referral to be seen by a specialist at a rapid access clinic due to health concerns of my own, so blogging - either as host or visitor - hasn't exactly been uppermost in my mind at the moment. Still waiting to find out exactly what's wrong with me and whether it's anything serious or not. Probably won't be doing much blogging for the foreseeable future.
Many condolences on the loss of your friend, Kid. I think we’re all of an age when mortality is creeping up on us all, and it’s a shock when these things hit so close to home. Perhaps because we spend so much time re-living our teenage experiences that we forget that those times were fifty years ago, and the loss seems so much deeper.
Best wishes with your own health concerns.
Thanks, B. Not much I can add as your comment was so pertinent, so thanks for making it.
Sorry to hear such sad news, kid. Wishing you the best in your own health too.
Hey Kid, I loved your post and it was great to see my dad still had the energy then to reply. I have a note of the live stream webcast for the service tomorrow and if you’d like it, I can send a note of the details privately. All the best and I’ll be keeping an eye out for new posts on the blog!
Thanks, OD - much appreciated.
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Hi Scott, you must be feeling pretty terrible at the moment, as must all the family. I'll be sending you an email shortly and I'll be raising a glass of cola in your dad's memory on the day. Cheers.
Gordon it was good to sit and remember Matt with a glass of cola and a slice of swiss roll with you.
Glad you got a mention as it felt like it completed this blog thread nicely.
Cheers
The Doctor
The occasion you mention was the second time I'd toasted Matt that day, Doc, as I'd already done so earlier. However, in Matt's case, he more than deserved to be remembered more than once. In fact, he'll be remembered numerous times in the coming years.
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