Staying In Contact is Important to Us All

Over the years, you have allowed me to speak to you regarding a number of personal recollections from my past. Some of these have been very personal in nature regarding people from my life’s journey that have made a difference in my own life and helped guide me on my journey over these years. 

One of the local low-cost airlines that have started to fly out of Ft. Myers recently sent me an offer I could not refuse, so I took advantage of that great fare, which allowed me to fly back to New Hampshire for a quick visit. It just happened to coincide with an all-class reunion for my small high school, which I graduated from 58 years ago. That same school was rolled into a larger regional school district from the small communities in our area, a move that made reasonable economic sense then and now, but really never affected me. 

Needless to say, I was excited to see so many friends and acquaintances from so long ago at the Saturday reunion this last weekend. It was a simple affair, and those who worked on it did a wonderful job. We were lucky to have the weather cooperate with us, as it was held outdoors,and we all gathered together on the high school football field. Wedid not have football when I went to school, simply because we just didn’t have a large enough student body to support it.But we did have a good soccer team! 

As I reflected on the day’s events when I returned to my host’s home for the evening, the discussions were not so much about who we saw, but who was no longer amongst us to be seen. 58 years is a long time, and to be honest, I never ever attended a reunion event. Theynever seemed to be held at a time when I could,for one reason or another. 

We sat that evening and went through one of his yearbooks from the early 60s and thumbed through the pages and spoke about those that were missing. Some were lost due to that conflict in Southeast Asia, which saw so many young men lose their lives, others in motor vehicle accidents, so many more due to illnesses, while others were lost to extenuating circumstances that create such sadness within families and communities.Of course, there will always be those who fade from our lives because they have chosen new locations to put down their roots due to the availability of jobs and better career prospects.  

I grew up in a relatively small community but was not part of that larger percentage from the demographic that would stay closer to where they grew up after finishing their educational pursuits. I was fortunate to settle here, but I never want to forget those from those early years of my life. 

As I, like many of you enter the later stages of our lives,it is important to try to stay in contact with those we know. To make the conscious effort to reach out once in a while to those who have made an impact on your life. I cannot tell you how many times in the last ten years I have regretted not picking up the phone until it was too late, never knowing it could have made a difference in the life of someone who had made a difference in mine. 

On the last day here, I visited the cemetery with a great friend of mine and we planted flowers at the graves of my parents and my younger brother after cleaning up those plots. He does the same with his parents and his older brother who are no longer with us. When I told him what I wanted to do, and asked him to borrow some tools, he quickly took me into the garage, and we loaded up those tools in his shiny red F150 and went to the cemetery. He either did not trust me with his truck, his tools, or to do the job to his satisfaction.  

I cannot ask for a better friend and will always remember this day and the lessons I learned over this weekend. I hope to see you all sometime this weekend and appreciate your friendships.