Two Reunions Are Just Around the Corner

There are two reunions just around the corner. Around the corner is mid April. First is our Marietta High School 1960 Class Reunion and the following week is the Varner’s Reunion.

I have never been to a high school reunion. After I went out into the world and got my degree in Hard Knocks I changed. I did not change over night. I gradually changed..

Most people in high school probably remember me as a wild untamed idiot that picked his nose and wiped his boogers onto his shirt sleeve. I don’t do that anymore. I am more reserved and refined. Now, I grab someone else’s shirt sleeve to wipe my mucus on.

In high school I was wild. Then after high school I became more reserved. I was afraid someone at a class reunion would call me aside and ask me just which one was the phony – the teenager Rock or the reserved bald-headed Rock? We are both phonies!

Through the years I have kept in contact with some close friends and other close friends and I went our separate ways. One such friend I kept in contact with was the late Larry Holcomb. Larry and I several times said we wanted to go to the Bell Reunion and never did. After Larry died I went.

One time on the Square I ran into Orville Carruth. He made the Bell Reunion sound fun. Then Orville died. And I went to the reunion.

I was amazed at how the people had aged. I was amazed at some on how old they looked and others how young they look.

I ran into one old close friend that we haven’t had contact in over 40 or years. A couple of times at the Glover Park Concerts we were within five feet of each other. As it turned out he just didn’t recognize me at the concerts. We spent many hours gallivanting in our high school years and the first couple years afterwards. Then we moved on. Now, we are old friends again.

That Bell Reunion was in 2006, always the last week of September. I dreaded running into one certain person I that I knew attended these reunions. I haven’t seen him in about 60 years. At Larry Bell Park swimming pool he picked on me all the time. He was a bully. He would always shove me, trip me, or say something hateful and I humbly ignored him. During that same time I ran around with a guy named Frankie Hunter (no relation). Frankie and I got in several scuffles and I always whipped his ass.

One time at the pool the bully pushed Frankie. Then he pushed him again. Frankie lost his temper and dared the bully to go outside the pool fence, when the bully did. There Frankie whipped the bully’s ass.

Then I thought, if I can whip Frankie and Frankie can whip the bully. I am I taking so much shit off the bully?

The next day at the pool I was ready. I walked in front of him, within reach in case he wanted to shove me. He ignored me. I walked in front of him again. He looked at something to his side. I walked up to and balled my fists and stood in front of him. He got up and left.

Now, I was hesitant to run into the Bully again. I saw him getting something out of a car. And went up to him and told him our prior relationship and he said he didn’t remember me. He was very kind and easy going. I told him I thought we might have another run-in. He said, “Oh No! Lets don’t do that!” I unclenched my fists.

I love to see old friends. I am near 70 and so are my friends. This might be the last chance I will see get to see some of them, or all of them, if I’m the next one to float away.