Friends

For my entire adult life, I've enjoyed bringing people together.  When I lived at home my dad had to get me my own phone number.  (We're talking 1968 here.  No cell phones or call waiting.)  I was always on the phone trying to get a large group of people to gather here or there.  Many times it was at my parents house.  They were young at heart and enjoyed interacting with my friends.

I was the first person in our group to get their own home. I was 23.  The neighbors weren't big fans of me and the 2 guys that moved in with me. Every Friday and Saturday night 20 - 25 people would just happen by. Loud music and smoke billowing out the doors were a common thing. Things quieted down on Sunday.  We'd sit around and recover from the other 2 days.  Then there were the actual nights when we invited people 'cuz it was party time!  Those gatherings were huge.  I guess the 1970's were a more tolerant time 'cuz I don't remember ever being visited by the police and being asked to turn or tone it down. We probably were but I just don't remember.

As you move through life, you lose touch with some friends and make some new ones.  I never went to college or joined the service, so those opportunities evaded me.  My entire work life has been spent working for one business and it's never employed more than 2 or 3 others, so I'm not meeting anyone new there.  (When I was younger, they were usually uncles and cousins.)  Playing on various adult sports teams allowed me to meet some new friends and as my wife I aged, we'd meet parents of kids in our kids' classes.  My wife was a stay at home mom, so no new friends there.

My attempt at getting the old gang back together ran into the 1990's.  We'd meet on the Sunday of the Memorial Day weekend down at Carkeek Park.  I'd reserve a cook spot and we'd hang out until it got dark.  It was good seeing everyone that came having a good time.  Many were regular attenders.  Some came this year but not the next.  They all were laughing and sharing memories.  For whatever reason, I quit organizing that get together.

Friends. You can't buy them, yet they're not free. In my humble opinion a real friendship has to be worked on by both parties or it isn't a true friendship.  I'm in my early 60's now and true friends are counted on my fingers.  Not sure where they are all now.  Some have passed away, some have moved.  I've had a few find me on Facebook.  Gotta love FB for that.  Bottom line here is, don't let too many days go by without making an effort to find an old flame or someone you knew many years ago.  They might just be looking for you, too!

Big Dogg Out!