This blog post is well overdue, but I’m back to share some more interesting stories!
Last month I got to meet one of my dad’s childhood friend and a well-known actor/stuntman, Tom Wright.
~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wright_(actor) ~
At first I got a message to my inbox on Facebook from him reaching out to me and introducing himself as Steve James’s long time friend. Of course, I was thrilled to see that he reached out, but we both felt it was a good idea to meet up and get to know each other. Upon meeting him, I got to know a lot my about my dad’s kindheartedness and good humor, which really touched me. Though, I was also really interested in him. As a child, I would always hear stories about Tom from my mom; she always had great things to say about him. Finally when he told me about himself, a lot of missing puzzle pieces came together as I got to hear a couple of stories from him personally. This was another exciting and revealing experience for me, but more importantly, this was really the first time I felt my dad was there smiling with me. My dad and Tom’s relationship was more than just a friendship- they we’re closer to being brothers. As we began talking about my father’s last few days, he didn’t wish to continue too much further especially when the topic of my father’s last partner, Chris Pan, came up. I saw in his eyes that it was a very emotional moment for him so I decided to let it go, but I’m forward to finding out more from him and connecting more dots.
On a final and lighter note! My idea of giving my father a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame 2016 brought that happy big smile right back on his face! 😉 He will be greatly involved and will participate with me to achieve my goal. It feels to know that I have ongoing support on my side, yet I still have more I need to accomplish! One step at a time, though.
Once more, to whoever is taking an interest in the story of my (updated) life- I appreciate you 🙂
Xoxo
Debbi James