San Clemente City Magazine Summer/Fall 2015 | Page 7

PUBLISHER’S DESK

People let me tell ‘bout my best friend
version of “Best Friend” from his album
“Aerial Ballet.” The only reason for this discovery is that I recently had a conversation
about mothers and women, including all
the influential women in my life. I realized
that sometimes in our adolescence, we
just don’t appreciate relationships like we
do in adulthood.

Patricia Jean Seaman
1935-1981

I recently did research on Harry Nilsson’s
theme song for the TV show “Courtship
of Eddie’s Father.” The song was called
“Best Friend” and here’s the kicker… it
was originally about a woman! That’s
right; the song lyrics to what is probably
the single most iconic father-son bonding
tune of all time, was all about a girl.
Nilsson’s song “Girlfriend” was an early

So this column, and my lyric revision (below), will represent the person who was
my best woman-friend growing up. Her
name was Patricia Jean Seaman—or Mrs.
Seaman, better known. In all, I knew her
for less than 15% of my life. She passed
away when she was just 46 years old
(I was 26 at the time)…
People let me tell you ‘bout my best friend,
She’s a warmhearted person who’ll love
me till the end.
People let me tell you ‘bout my best friend,
She’s was everybody’s mother always

cooking something,
Cracking people’s (RED) necks and laughing with the rest.
We were her up, her down, her pride and
joy.
People let me tell you ‘bout my best friend.
She was so much fun and laughing till the
end.
Whether we’re talkin’ woman to man or
just about everyone…
She WAS my best friend
Cause she’s my best friend.
Yes, she was my best friend.
Here’s why Mrs. Seaman was my best
friend: She always listened and always
advised. She fed me when I was hungry.
Many days it would just be her and I, in
her quaint little kitchen, and she’d give me
the scoop on current happenings in the
community. She had an uncanny way of
understanding the strife of boys and girls.

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She praised my accomplishments and
accepted my faults.
Mrs. Seaman understood my happiness
and lone