Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Bob McIntyre

Bob McIntryre is a friendly, but caustic bloke.  He greets friends and strangers alike with a warm, open hand and a wide, sarcastic grin.  Profanity from Bob is not quite as offensive as it is expected...and desired.  It's when he's politely guarded, you become keenly aware that Bob is no longer friendly.

Raised in the Ohio River Valley of western Pennsylvania, Bob learned early on to approach each sunny day with joyful abandon, but to always expect rain.  As a younger man he excelled in sports, particularly hockey and lacrosse, which perfectly exemplify his "stick-first" -- be it with a check, a joke, or a beer bottle -- mentality.  Despite these great personal strengths, Bob's life is mundane and reliant upon past glories. 

In fact, Bob only struggles with one demon:  the gradual loss of greatness he knew as a youth.  He grows bored of re-telling old stories of past conquests.  Men half his age politely smile as he recounts tales of athletic and sexual prowess.  He stares in disbelief at their incredulousness, wondering how his younger cohort could not possibly indulge in the same exploits.  Then again, life has changed considerably.

Bob dies in a tragic kiln explosion while taking a pottery class at the local community college.

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