Some people make lifelong friends, while others wait a lifetime to find a friend they never knew they had. For Jimmy Howard, that is what happened when he was shooting hoops at Roland Bland Park. Jimmy and his new friend Curtis Kidd met each other while getting some exercise and enjoying a sport that allows them to get outside. Three months ago, Jimmy and Curtis began shooting basketball and talking about their lives, their families and the things they had in common. Jimmy, who was born in Scottsville, has lived in the Bowling Green area for many of his 61 years. Curtis, who is also 61 and is from Birmingham, Ala., moved to Bowling Green because his wife is from the area. They both love exercise and basketball, but they were friends for months before they found another connection – Curtis’ wife and Jimmy grew up on the same street. “We’ve got more in common than I thought we had,” Jimmy said. The two men don’t play competitively, and they often don’t even break a sweat. Their game isn’t even all that organized, it’s “more like following each other, like horse,” Jimmy said. They’re just out there to share what they have in common – their hobbies, their pasts and their time.

Nathan Weber is a senior photojournalism major from Horse Shoe, N.C. He can be reached at nathan.weber@wku.edu.