I'm Home Again .... Read On

Bottom line: my 40th high school was a lot of fun. The hard work was over and it was time to see old friends and lost classmates.  What you have to understand to put this in context is that the 4th of July in my hometown is bigger than Christmas and Thanksgiving rolled into one.  IT'S TRADITION.

Of course, the girls were the first stop.  Mary, Patty, Tree, Bid.  Later we picked up Base, Dana, Kath, and Mimi, as well as long lost but deeply loved Dareth and Michelle (who, by the way, is one of the funniest people I know).  The parade rolled out -- who ARE those old gomers on the Class of '73 float, singing  "Born To Be Wild"?  Cool song, but geez........  and they're SITTING ON CHAIRS??  IN TIE DYE?? We waved to the 10-deep crowd as we rolled along Northwest Boulevard, some of us thinking back to when we did the same thing as cheerleaders and athletes or, in the case of me and Patty, the Miss Upper Arlington float (we were in the Court!)

The next night was the reunion.  We had a helluva turn out -- 200+ people, 40 years later.  Thank God we wore name tags, although there were some people who, I swear, looked better than they did in high school.  Deb S. G has not a single frickin' wrinkle on her face!!  Lots of mingling and reminiscing.  Buck and I (mostly me) had a good cry at the bar, remembering Dave and wishing he was there with us.

I sat with Dick and Nancy, my cousin and his wife, where I was re-introduced to Louise.  My great-aunt's '69 T-Bird, soon to reside in my garage.

I had the amazing opportunity to go inside the house where I grew up.  As I was taking pictures the current owners invited me in when I told them my parents built the house in @ 1965.  If you ever get the chance, do it.  Once is enough but the memories flood you as you walk around, remembering where you gathered with your friends.

 The "house band" at the reunion, a quick assemblage of old friends.  Great set!

Self-portrait with Michelle and Mimi lurking in the background.

So the weekend is over.  So many mixed feelings.  We're past mid-life, past raising kids to cuddling grandkids.  Will I go to the next one?  Who knows what five years will bring.

The thought that remains is an old Girl Scout song:  "Make new friends but keep the old; some are silver, the others gold."  Good seein' ya, gold friends.