I recently received an email asking if we were still “on for lunch at 11:30.” Since I didn’t recognize the name or address of the sender, I replied something along the lines of: “…11:30 is good for me. Where are we going and who are you?” A couple of days later I received the following reply:
“Dear Mr. Mays: My most humble apologies. The email you received was meant for Steve A. Mays whom I was attempting to contact (in Monterey California). This particular Steve A. Mays’ email address is also at hotmail.com I spelled Steve’s given name incorrectly. The unfortunate part is you missed an excellent lunch in Monterey. (BBQ Tri-tip 3 kinds of BBQ Sausage, with all the fixins’ . I find it ironic because…….. I now know three (3) Steve Mays! Again, My apologies and I will still hold the offer of lunch, should you make your way to the San Francisco/Monterey/Fresno/Bakersfield area, guaranteed! With best regards, Les Winebarger – Madera, CA.”
I wrote back something about being pleased that one of my parallel universes was in Madera, California and included good BBQ. But it started me wondering about the other guys named Steve Mays. So I did a little ego surfing on Google to see what else Steve Mays was doing.
“One bleak day a hoodlum from Anaheim showed up at one of our Christian commune houses dressed in bib overalls and leathers, with a nine millimeter Baretta tucked in his back pocket. He had not bathed in six months and had literally slept in gutters while living as a fugitive from the law. He had not brushed his teeth in two years and, with his neo-barbarian hairstyle, he was a sight to behold. His name was Steve Mays and he was alienated from everybody- from his parents, who had tossed him out of their house years before, to the tough group of outlaw bikers he had been living with. He had been wanted by the FBI for attempted murder and draft dodging. There was also a contract out on his life.”
In 1995, Steve Mays hit .420 for the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets.
At the Berkeley-based startup Xamplify, programmer Steve Mays was one of several refugees from Industrial Light and Magic, which did the computer graphics for “Star Wars.” He also acted as Manager of Desktop Systems for the films Twister and Men In Black. Okay, now that’s pretty cool.
I found one Steve Mays that spent “nearly 25 years toiling in various communications endeavors” before going to law school. I started with (not quite a) semester of law school, followed by 30 years in radio.
On Daniel John Plonsey’s discography the list of “Ensembles in which I Play/have Played” includes The Benchers, a.k.a. The Coconut and the Lifeguard (88-90) (w/ Steve Mays, Joy Krinsky and Mark Dickinson)
“Anyone looking into the eyes of Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Steven Mays has a chance at seeing it the fire and determination to be No. 1, the commitment he makes to the sport of wrestling and the intimidating stare that warns his opponents that his 119 lbs. is not to be underestimated. Those who get that chance on the mat may only see it for a split second, though before they are picked up and taken down.”
Nuff said.
I found a Steve Mays that shared my interest in the theater but I was a little bothered by the “fifth-year student” reference.
“DePauw Little Theatre opens its 1997-1998 season this weekend with Sam Shepard’s play “True West,” a contemporary play about two brothers from very different worlds struggling with their conflicting views on life. Austin, played by freshman Jeff Elliott, is an aspiring screen writer living a conservative life. On the other hand, his brother Lee, played by fifth-year student Steve Mays, is a drifter who has no particular plan for his life. The excellent portrayals by Mays and Elliott make for many humorous and dramatic exchanges throughout the play.”
Near the end of my search (I got bored) I learned that Steve Mays was a co-founder of the Alabama Crimson Tide Yell Crew.
So what have we got here? Outlaw biker-turned-preacher; baseball player; wrestler; computer graphics programmer; broadcaster; actor; musician; and cheerleader. Steve, if you’re reading this… don’t be a stranger. Drop me a line.