On the Edge

On the eve of my 64th year, I finally have some good news for a change. It was getting overwhelmingly sad to continue reporting bad news (you all know what I mean) and it really weighed heavy when I compared the sad news with the great memories I had of one classmate after the other.

The news is that Rolf Youngquist, our football QB, has been inducted into the Wayne Valley Football Hall of Fame. Now during high school, my best view of Rolf was the back of his head since educators still arranged seating alphabetically. I also recall the WXYZs doing our fair share of cutting up in the back of homeroom. (It also calls to mind the late Kevin Walsh, spending so much time before his untimely death, standing in homeroom with chewing gum stuck to his nose.)

Please join me in congratulating Rolf joining the historically and outrageously successfully WV67 football squad members who have already been inducted, and also those yet to be (and there are still many many deserving members) who collectively gave us such great memories. That's another one of those photo opportunities like the 3 shepherds, which I almost got last year. Keep that in mind fellas, come next reunion.

For me, a birthday is an opportunity to celebrate the defeat of the ravages of time for yet another year. So far, I seem to be standing up to it much like my Dodge Dakota pickup truck - looks okay but getting creaky. I must admit to finding myself spending more and more time grousing about the ignorance and temerity of my grandchildren's generation. ("Hey Nineteen", if you know what I mean.) Those kids better keep away at least one cane's length when that becomes necessary because I'll be swinging wide and far, at least till I fall over. Thanks for the birthday wishes from the FB set. I apologize for not being more a presence on that venue. I enjoy hearing of our exploits and remote vacation destinations and retirement activities and enjoying the kids and grand kids, and generally doing a good job of managing their spare time. I do not enjoy the background static of diatribe, invective and drama (What is it about young teenage mothers photographing their bellies?) that is also part of FB though. I mainly rely on Linda to keep up, and do get notifications in a very selective way and must admit checking once a day, which I consider to be the minimum necessary to keep up with all of you.

I also want to encourage you all to take every opportunity possible to see each other outside of the context of reunions as you travel about the countryside. I recently trekked to Seattle on the way to a cruise to visit with Keith and Liz Schneider who graciously took us on a tour of that lovely city and his incredible shop of antique toys and the troll under the bridge. I also know that Anthony Wayne 7-3 / 8-4 has at least two get to gethers planned for the upcoming year with our block teachers attending (Tunis/Piaget). I also saw an FB post from Karen Perkins about a visit paid her by Chris Ellicott in Wayne this year. I just love to hear of these kinds of events.

So fill my inbox and FB page with good news to help me celebrate my birthday. For my part, I'll be checking in tomorrow from Moonlite BarBQ in nearby Owensboro, KY, the home of barbecue for Presidents and me. For those of you who attended WKU and know the place, eat your hearts out.