Rush Limbaugh, Talk Radio's Conservative Provocateur, Dies at 70

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207. I grew up with Rush aka Rusty Limbaugh

I am a year older than Rusty his nickname when we we younger. The last time I talked to him was almost 50 years ago. A few memories of our childhood follow. He was not always like he became.

We grew up a few blocks from each other in Cape Girardeau Mo. His house's driveway was big and had a basketball goal that the kids in the neighbor hood played on a lot. His mother lots of times would have snacks and ice tea when we took breaks.
Neither one of us were very good at basketball.

He wanted at an early age to be a radio D-Jay. His parents bought him recording equipment and he had a "studio" in the basement. I remember several times during our junior high school years being in the basement in his "studio". He would have written a radio skit with several parts and kids in the neighborhood would take this or that part. He took a few parts and did the sound effects. He would then cut and spliced together and we would listen to the "broadcast". I thought he was creative and talented in his efforts

We were both in boy scouts troop 3. He dropped out after he got chigger bit after our first camping trip. I got the Eagle Scout badge and God and Country award.

He was the class clown in high school and shy around woman.

Our families went to the same church. Back then both our parents insisted the family attended Sunday School and the Church Service. No excuses. His mother and my mother both sang in the church choir and are both deceased.

His family was always Republican my family Democrats. Political discussions were more civilized back then. His Grandfather was a Teddy Roosevelt Republican and I liked and admired his Grandfather. His dad was different. I remember Rusty and I while being on the debate team in high school sought his dad's opinions one season. You had to argue the affirmative and negative sides of the debate topic. His dad left me with the impression that his opinion was always right and if you disagreed with him you were not only wrong but you did not have a functioning brain. Not good advice for an aspiring debater.

His family wanted him to attend college and law school and follow in his Grandfather's, Dad's and Uncle's steps and be an attorney. He dropped of college and never attended law school like his younger brother. I believe he attended SEMO because they started a college radio station and he got to broadcast the late show. My last memory was helping him while he broadcast. I would get records from the stacks for him to play. I had to spend more time on my studies and being on the college debate team took a lot of time so I quit fetching records. I do not remember if it was 1 or 2 or 3 semesters before he flunked or dropped out. He moved and I moved and our paths never crossed again.

I thought one day I would call into his show and give him my opinion on whatever but then I never did. He had become too different. I think the pursuit of money and power and fame corrupted him. As a kid growing I thought he was shy and did not have a lot of self confidence. From the movie Dances with Wolves I recall the line "It is not good to talk about dead people" but then here I am "talking".

Rusty used to be my friend but he did a lot to divide this nation by preaching hate to his ditto heads and for that I can not forgive him. That is all. Perhaps I should not post this but then ... DING DONG the witch is dead.