Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Fifty Years and Counting

My mentor once told me not to ever divulge my age to anyone connected to the book publishing world. Well, like most advice that requires me to lie, I promptly ignored it. “If they (the publishers) find out you’re over forty you will never get a book published,” was the message. Hell, I never had a chance with “they” anyway; I went to a POD publisher
and never looked back.

Friday night is my fiftieth high school reunion at Escondido High School in Escondido, California. Yes, I said fiftieth, and I have earned every one of those grey hairs the hard way. I really think this one will be my last reunion trip though, but I said that after my fortieth too. Perhaps it’s the fear of me ending up at my sixtieth reunion in a wheelchair with a bib tied around my neck trying to catch female classmates scurrying about in their wheelchairs while trying to stay out of my reach. Providing there are any classmates alive at that point. I wonder who would organize the reunion if I were the last one standing (or sitting). Now that reunion would be no fun at all.

I do know a classmate that lives out-of-state and just had a hip replacement. She can’t come to the party, but I plan to place her picture where everyone can see it at the dinner table. After taking pictures, I will e-mail them to her so she can at least see her classmates and live the reunion through them. As for the classmates who have departed this planet, I am sure they have more important things to do. We will remember them with fondness.

My twin will be going with me this year. I don’t know if Escondido is ready for the both of us in one place, but that’s its problem. We wanted to ride our motorcycles to the reunion, but after that long of a ride we would both be stoved up in our motel room unable to attend. Best we just drive and play it safe. It will be nice having my brother with me to share some time with old friends and people we don’t recognize. Not remembering faces at the reunion doesn’t bother me much; most of the time I don’t recognize the face I see in the mirror daily!

I’m just saying,

Mittster

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