those were the days

I had a great time with old friends today

     During the car show at today's festival, I had a chance to visit with Frank and Barb.  This is John's brother and sister in law.  Frank has a 67 Impala convertible, although it may be a 65 .... but it is red with white interior, just like the colors of Lake View High School.  John came out to the car show and afterwards we all went back to my house for a cookout.
     John, Frank and I all went to Lake View.  We had some classes together, did some extra curricular activities together, formed a club, hung around, and were friends.
      Time does some terrible things to us.  It ages us.  Our bodies don't go as quickly as we want.  Sometimes they don't even go where we want.
    We talked about playing soft ball in the alley behind their home in Chicago. Realize, an alley was about maybe 16 feet wide.  Two cars could pass, but not easily.  We had four or five people on a team, sometimes more.
     We played with a 16 inch clincher...I still have one.... and we did not use mitts.  I do have a couple of fingers that don't go straight, I think because I jammed them catching a ball.
     And since the alley was narrow, you taught yourself to hit straight.  When we moved to a playground, left and right fielders and first and third basement were useless, because everyone learned to hit toward center field.
     We had a walking, talking scoreboard, with a local guy who would announce the game, giving us each names of real ball players and made up game statistics.
      During the summer, we would play all day, taking a break only for jobs or family demands.  Games seemed to have no end, and often the score was debatable.
     And not only did we go to high school, we went to the same grammar school....which means we were together for a long time.  We were not always in the same class, but in the same year of school...if that makes sense.
     We talked about other classmates and the fact that next year is our 50th reunion...and maybe our last.
     I am torn about going.  I love visiting with Frank and John, but we can do that anytime for a lot less money than the reunion will cost.
     I do wonder about other people in our class who I have lost touch with, how their lives went, what they are doing now.
     I never thought of myself as popular in high school.  I always felt I was shy, quiet and pretty much in my own world.  Today, I found out I was a "social butterfly."
     Funny, I see myself as the caterpillar, still waiting its chance to shine.