Author: Tony Trott
When you get to be 56 years old (probably any age, actually) and you can look back and realize that one of your friends has always been around then you can consider yourself extremely lucky. This past Memorial Day, I was reminded of my luck, when Rob Pitera and one of his sons, who were visiting his mother for the holiday, stopped by to chat.

I was born December 30, 1968 and Rob was born February 8, 1969, and our mothers were good friends (and still are) so I’m guessing that we had some kind of interaction at the infant stage. We attended the same schools from pre-school through high school, except for kindergarten. We were best friends, and pretty much did all the things kids do together. Riding bikes, playing sports, catching salamanders, just to name a few.

We went our separate ways for college, but after that we both were looking for jobs in the education field. Rob found one but then he had to do a semester student teaching for his graduate work and he asked me if I would be a long-term sub for his position at a local elementary school. Of course, I said yes, and that got me interested in special education which, in addition to having my own disability, led me to wanting to work with others with disabilities.

I believe it’s safe to say that our lives pretty much paralleled each other. I consider myself very fortunate to have had a close friend for such a long period of time, so if you do as well, you should reach out and let them know!