We left Brownwood Texas happier than a clam digger on Martha’s Vinyard. Great people hosted us, fed us, took us on safari, and let us fish their “tanks” for huge large mouth bass. We got to see a perfectly planned and executed, small town, war memorial, and we attend a bible study with the locals.

Afterwards, we found our way to Dallas without GPS and had dinner at a modern TexMex restaurant called Mesero’s-Prestonwood where we experienced the best waiter ever and ate dinner with my high school friend David and his wife Susan; meeting each other’s wives for the first time was the goal.

It took a lifetime for me to realize that special every age, event, and experience is a blessing, and every relationship matters. At 62 years of age high school seems, for the most part, like a blur. There we mountains to climb and jungles to explore, and girls, and fears of girls to conquer, but I survived high school and remember it with fondness.

When you get older, like the age of dirt, it doesnt matter if you had dozens of friends or if you were class president, a home coming queen, or a superstar jock. All that matters is that you remember theit faces and have a faint devotion to maintaining and connecting fresh to the people of your past.

We planned in advance a stop in Dallas on our retirement tour. And my friend David kindly arranged this present together of high school friends who live in Dallas. I had just seen two of these last October for the first time in fourty five years and that night I met again two more of the same vintage. If the sole purpose of our gathering was to laugh and reminisce, mission acomplished. But I also got the warm and fuzzies just seeing and greeting faces embeded deep in this old man’s memory. This happens every time old friends get together, I highly recommend it.

There was Jack and his lovely wife Margaret, who I looked forward to meeting. Then there were John and Marla, Jeff, David, and Jackie, my wife, and myself. I’ll remember the hugs and the first sightings of familar, but weathered, faces. I’ll remember the waiter dropping bread pudding on Jack, although I did not see this happen I just heard dishes crashing and I saw Jack’s, still smiling, but shocked face. I’ll remember David for his big smile, the kindness he showed by arranging all the details, picking us up and showing us culture shocking Dallas. I’ll remember the bright and the almost angelic, happy, and loving face of Marla, John’s bride. I knew John the best of these from high school, but I’ll remember John that night because we are kindred brothers, the kind that stand by when we need anything. And Jeff, what a pleasure to see him. All pressed and handsome like the Lockheed S-3 anti-submarine warfare aircraft Jeff flew for the Navy for almost 30 years. A real gentleman he is and I’d like to here more about his life.

The truth be told I was not “best friends” with any of these guys in high school. A couple I even felt were competitors or antagonistic and sometimes hurtful; we were high schooler’s, that stuff happens. But today I’m so happy that we could meet up again and I’m hopeful that in the busyness of life we can find more opportunities to explore the events and depths of our souls.

We are presently staying with great friends and one was onr of Jackie’s co-workers of days past. Glenna and Ron, are fun to be around and we are very relaxed staying with them. We will likely be here another couple days, and then our journey will resume.

We also say Kary, the funniest Georgia Buldog fan of sll time! She also is the daughter of our good friends in Polebridge. It would not be right to be in Dallas without seeing Kary.

Well, that’s it! Besides my having to fix an exhust leak in the van and determining that I have a smal intake manifold leak affecting mileage and performance, all is well.

I know this post was not very exciting, but I’m sure there are more events and exciting places to visit ahead.