Monday, May 11, 2009

Resting Up

We had quite a full weekend. Steve worked like a dog both days doing repairs--contingencies for the sale of the house that became required after the engineer's technical inspection. They were mostly simple (to Steve, anyway) electrical and carpentry fixes that the normal person would hire somebody to do but that Steve could do himself. I did what I could to help Saturday until I had to leave for a little ad hoc high school reunion (more on that below) and then Sunday we both worked like crazy, to the point where Steve overdid it and had to stay home today to recuperate. (Overnight road construction, seemingly right below our windows, in the cool, open-windows hours didn't help anybody get a decent sleep). One thing is left do: remove mildew from the wine cellar. I'll tackle that this week by spraying with Tilex and then painting the walls with Kilz primer. Steve fixed the cause, misdirected rainspouts, during the weekend.

The high school get-together was a wonderful break, though I felt guilty leaving Steve here still working. This was an ad hoc party, really, for about 20 people that my wonderful friend Jane has kept up with over the past 40+ years. I'm from the class of '64 and Jane's from '65; I was added on at the last minute when Jane stumbled upon me in Facebook. All the people at the party except me were from Jane's class, but that was OK because I actually had more good friends from the classes immediately before and after mine than I did in my own. Warm friendship is a wonderful institution. We fell into comfortable conversation immediately, as if no years had passed.

There's a special, intimate quality to friendships formed during our early years, when entire families by necessity became part of the relationships. Moms and dads ferried groups of us to parties and got to know everybody. Brothers and sisters were often hangers on and known to the group, too. When we meet later and reminisce, there's as much catching up to do about our families as about ourselves, and old bonds are strengthened that much more.

I'm so grateful to Jane for opening these old doors and allowing wonderful, dearly missed friends back into my life. Being back in regular contact with them is a gift beyond value.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find it remarkable that there are still that many friends in the locale up there. My friends are long gone from either Groveton High School or Mt Vernon. I can't even think of one from High School that I would know still in the NVa area. But I do keep in touch with those that are in NY, Phoenix, TN and elsewhere, Vermont, just talked to Brad over the weekend. But WOW, lucky you. The tried and true. You and they must be what's known these days as "dinasaurs". Lived there all your lives. Look at me, I'm in Florida.

Ralph said...

Actually Z&M, my friend Jane, who threw the party, is amazing in how many peopel she's kept up with--that kind of continuity is really important to her, which makes it nice for the rest of us "normal" folks. But all the people there don't live in the immediate DC area anymore, I hasten to add. Some came in from places like Nags Head and Philly, and one guy flew in from Texas. But quite a few of us do still live around here.

Anonymous said...

None. Zip. Zero. I do have a friend who was best man in my wedding still living in Chevy Chase. He and I worked for Charley Gibson when he was news anchor at WMAL then moved to ABC News on K st. and we didn't move with him. My friend John went on to Law School, I was drafted. Other friends are either from work there or served in the military. Many who lived there all their lives are now living out in the burbs, way out as far as Charlottesville and as close to Bethany Beach heading east. Five are around Richmond. So we keep in touch by email but I'd love to find my High School buddies. Can't imagine what happened to them but I have looked up every known address; checked white pages when up there; contacted the alumni which in my case is a joke. You are lucky you have Jane. Opposite to me is my wife who says 35 of her class still resides in South Bend, lived out their lives there, the rest are dead, a few lost their lives in Nam. Her class at Clay was only 60 students.

Cuidado said...

I went to my twentieth reunion is Massachusetts but not any others. We had a ball but like you I had better friends in other years so we had a reunion too. What a blast!