Remembering
I grew up around people who were exceptional in their young fields, and I was rather unexceptional, or so I thought. I thought I would share some insights into the people who I rubbed shoulders with.
There was one guy called Luke, who was one of those infuriating people who did everything he said he would. He could play the piano, sew, yes sew!, he could cook, and was gifted I thought with above average intelligence. He would stand before the others and I on some days and say the eve before a sports or swimming carnival, I will win the 200 metres, the 400 metres and the 800 metres races...and he DID!! He said many things growing up to me that I still reflect on often. Small throw away lines for him that my minds deep recesses have never abandoned. I reminded Luke of some of those things when I saw him last year, and he shook his head and said how did you remember that. I don't know but I did. Luke now has a PHD in Music and of all things now lives in Utah and sings as one of the many voices of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Then there was Russell. This guy was a more "down to earth" guy I thought, and was always close to me and another guy I will refer to shortly called Adrian. Russell was a good thinker and became an assiduous reader and studier, but always knew how to have fun. He ended up working for Nasa, and someone told me at a wedding I covered a few weeks ago that he is now running a corporation in Chicago. Good on you Russell.
One of the girls names who I won't mention here who always used to say I was fat, is now somewhat less attractive!!! How cruel of me to say that, I know, and I do not mean it maliciously, it was just a sweet and sad feeling to see her one time at a wedding and when I was no longer fat, but she seemed as though she had aged unnecessarily much in the intervening years. Her husband still looked the same. I won't suggest he caused it, but I was sad also because she was a stunning young lady way back when. A side note is that she has 4 stunning daughters. One of them looks identical to the lady I grew up with. I mentioned to her that she looked so much like her mum and she smiled and said I hear that often, it was like going back in time. Weird, but nice.
Then there was Adrian, this young boy then and I are still close friends. We see each other most weeks. He is also a very talented young man who played the violin, plays the piano and lived in a home I still remember VERY well. He has brothers and sisters who are all so radically different from him. I reflected my thoughts and his differences to him last week and he mused that we were "different" shapes in the mold we lived in. I paraphrased a little but the result is correct. And thus it was or maybe even is. Adrian did very well in his studies, now lectures in University and has his own souvenir business. I enjoy Adrian's wit and his sense of humour. I am so glad we are friends. His girlfriend Sandra became his bride and worked hard and achieved a PHD and is now a keynote speaker in Spain, South America and I think has even been to the UN - not sure on that one. I knew them before they were married, and I am convinced that whilst I know Sandra likes me is always shaking her head when Adrian and I get together. We're still boys. And I love that we are. The nature of our talks has evolved over the years but I still have very warm memories of being around him, and still enjoy his company very much.
Then there was Jene. She was a doll, I liked Jene. She was a good person, and still is. I see her occasionally and still enjoy a laugh and a hug. She once picked me up with another guy called Garth and was driving us to the beach, she said I cannot have an accident today as the insurance lapsed yesterday. D'OH, famous last words and yes we had an accident. But not just an ordinary accident, the car slipped on the moistened road surface and spun around hitting a 3 foot embankment on the side of the car and then the car flipped and rolled onto the roof. I remember with vivid detail opening my eyes and looking out the front window as the window smashed in as we landed on the roof. Luckily all of us had seat belts on, the only problem was that doors would not open and when I took the seat belt off I came crashing down on to the upturned roof, injuring my neck, and then had to climb out of the car through my window. I recall a man running toward us with a smoke in his mouth as petrol was leaking out of the tank, and I said don't smoke. Loser!! Incidentally , my neck was in occasional pain for a few years until one day I was in a fight at school and was in a head lock when the person yanked my neck and I could feel the relief and it has never given me trouble again! How strange.
Then there was a guy whose name I won't mention, who was such a talented guy, could play the piano, could sing and could do soooo much, I envied this guy, and he became interested in drugs and then became an addict of sorts. I haven't heard from or about him in years, and I miss the guy I once knew. Lis C knew him well. Lis C who comments here on the blog on occasion, knew this guy very well. This guy I refer to, Robyn, Karen, Lis C and I formed a singing group that performed in a fashion show once and even a major department store many years ago. I will post pictures up here soon I think. The group was called Eden.
Then there was Lis C. What a dynamo this young lady was. I loved Lis's spirit and freedom. She is of great Irish ancestory and had a spirit and zest for life that I have never forgotten and whose care and concern for others stays with me still. She impacted my life in more ways than she could possibly know. She is a pocket rocket, said with the most respect. I admired her perspectives which I thought were like mine and very unique. I am glad we're still friends. Then there was her brother Jim who became close to me. Jim bought me a ticket to John Denver in concert as a birthday gift one time and we got to meet him as well which is a thrill I have never forgotten that helped spur me on to repeat that feeling many times over since that time with other artists. Jim and shared many conversations and experiences. He has his own imaging business in Queensland and has become a very successful person in his field. We even shared some brief but special moments as missionaries in the Philippines. He has become very busy over the last few years and the memories we shared may have dimmed for him a little but I still have much warmth, love and respect for him.
There was Robyn and Karen, Robyn was my girlfriend for a long time a great person, and her sister Karen and I occasionally talk on the phone. These two ladies were great and still are. They have had lives go in a very different direction from the way we all once thought and imagined all those years ago, but they are still here and still doing the best they can. I am proud of them.
There was Kathy, who was a beautiful girl, and still is. She has several kids and is happily married. I met with her at a wedding I did recently and it was such fun. I love enjoying the sweet memories I have of my youth, I love seeing the people I grew up around. I love that I no longer feel inferior to any of them, I love that I had many interesting times and experiences with them all, they have all helped to shape who I am and I thank them without reservation. I love them all, and then some. I am in a sentimentalist mode at present and could not get them out of my mind and so, have added but a couple of lines to tell the world how special these people are to me for a variety of reasons.
It occurs that there are also other people whose names I haven't added in here, but I will do a part two another time.
There was one guy called Luke, who was one of those infuriating people who did everything he said he would. He could play the piano, sew, yes sew!, he could cook, and was gifted I thought with above average intelligence. He would stand before the others and I on some days and say the eve before a sports or swimming carnival, I will win the 200 metres, the 400 metres and the 800 metres races...and he DID!! He said many things growing up to me that I still reflect on often. Small throw away lines for him that my minds deep recesses have never abandoned. I reminded Luke of some of those things when I saw him last year, and he shook his head and said how did you remember that. I don't know but I did. Luke now has a PHD in Music and of all things now lives in Utah and sings as one of the many voices of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Then there was Russell. This guy was a more "down to earth" guy I thought, and was always close to me and another guy I will refer to shortly called Adrian. Russell was a good thinker and became an assiduous reader and studier, but always knew how to have fun. He ended up working for Nasa, and someone told me at a wedding I covered a few weeks ago that he is now running a corporation in Chicago. Good on you Russell.
One of the girls names who I won't mention here who always used to say I was fat, is now somewhat less attractive!!! How cruel of me to say that, I know, and I do not mean it maliciously, it was just a sweet and sad feeling to see her one time at a wedding and when I was no longer fat, but she seemed as though she had aged unnecessarily much in the intervening years. Her husband still looked the same. I won't suggest he caused it, but I was sad also because she was a stunning young lady way back when. A side note is that she has 4 stunning daughters. One of them looks identical to the lady I grew up with. I mentioned to her that she looked so much like her mum and she smiled and said I hear that often, it was like going back in time. Weird, but nice.
Then there was Adrian, this young boy then and I are still close friends. We see each other most weeks. He is also a very talented young man who played the violin, plays the piano and lived in a home I still remember VERY well. He has brothers and sisters who are all so radically different from him. I reflected my thoughts and his differences to him last week and he mused that we were "different" shapes in the mold we lived in. I paraphrased a little but the result is correct. And thus it was or maybe even is. Adrian did very well in his studies, now lectures in University and has his own souvenir business. I enjoy Adrian's wit and his sense of humour. I am so glad we are friends. His girlfriend Sandra became his bride and worked hard and achieved a PHD and is now a keynote speaker in Spain, South America and I think has even been to the UN - not sure on that one. I knew them before they were married, and I am convinced that whilst I know Sandra likes me is always shaking her head when Adrian and I get together. We're still boys. And I love that we are. The nature of our talks has evolved over the years but I still have very warm memories of being around him, and still enjoy his company very much.
Then there was Jene. She was a doll, I liked Jene. She was a good person, and still is. I see her occasionally and still enjoy a laugh and a hug. She once picked me up with another guy called Garth and was driving us to the beach, she said I cannot have an accident today as the insurance lapsed yesterday. D'OH, famous last words and yes we had an accident. But not just an ordinary accident, the car slipped on the moistened road surface and spun around hitting a 3 foot embankment on the side of the car and then the car flipped and rolled onto the roof. I remember with vivid detail opening my eyes and looking out the front window as the window smashed in as we landed on the roof. Luckily all of us had seat belts on, the only problem was that doors would not open and when I took the seat belt off I came crashing down on to the upturned roof, injuring my neck, and then had to climb out of the car through my window. I recall a man running toward us with a smoke in his mouth as petrol was leaking out of the tank, and I said don't smoke. Loser!! Incidentally , my neck was in occasional pain for a few years until one day I was in a fight at school and was in a head lock when the person yanked my neck and I could feel the relief and it has never given me trouble again! How strange.
Then there was a guy whose name I won't mention, who was such a talented guy, could play the piano, could sing and could do soooo much, I envied this guy, and he became interested in drugs and then became an addict of sorts. I haven't heard from or about him in years, and I miss the guy I once knew. Lis C knew him well. Lis C who comments here on the blog on occasion, knew this guy very well. This guy I refer to, Robyn, Karen, Lis C and I formed a singing group that performed in a fashion show once and even a major department store many years ago. I will post pictures up here soon I think. The group was called Eden.
Then there was Lis C. What a dynamo this young lady was. I loved Lis's spirit and freedom. She is of great Irish ancestory and had a spirit and zest for life that I have never forgotten and whose care and concern for others stays with me still. She impacted my life in more ways than she could possibly know. She is a pocket rocket, said with the most respect. I admired her perspectives which I thought were like mine and very unique. I am glad we're still friends. Then there was her brother Jim who became close to me. Jim bought me a ticket to John Denver in concert as a birthday gift one time and we got to meet him as well which is a thrill I have never forgotten that helped spur me on to repeat that feeling many times over since that time with other artists. Jim and shared many conversations and experiences. He has his own imaging business in Queensland and has become a very successful person in his field. We even shared some brief but special moments as missionaries in the Philippines. He has become very busy over the last few years and the memories we shared may have dimmed for him a little but I still have much warmth, love and respect for him.
There was Robyn and Karen, Robyn was my girlfriend for a long time a great person, and her sister Karen and I occasionally talk on the phone. These two ladies were great and still are. They have had lives go in a very different direction from the way we all once thought and imagined all those years ago, but they are still here and still doing the best they can. I am proud of them.
There was Kathy, who was a beautiful girl, and still is. She has several kids and is happily married. I met with her at a wedding I did recently and it was such fun. I love enjoying the sweet memories I have of my youth, I love seeing the people I grew up around. I love that I no longer feel inferior to any of them, I love that I had many interesting times and experiences with them all, they have all helped to shape who I am and I thank them without reservation. I love them all, and then some. I am in a sentimentalist mode at present and could not get them out of my mind and so, have added but a couple of lines to tell the world how special these people are to me for a variety of reasons.
It occurs that there are also other people whose names I haven't added in here, but I will do a part two another time.
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