W.A. Porter C.I. - Remember When

Over the last few days I've been lucky enough to be able to connect again with some of "kids" (well, we're all grown up now, but I still think of us as kids) from highschool. It isn't the first time since we all left, but for me, only the second time in the 42 years (omg, really that long) since I flew the coop.

The first reunion was held at the C.N.E. grounds (for the non-Torontonians that's the Canadian National Exhibition ... at least it was then) and was an amazing day for me. Some of them (most of them actually) looked (to me) exactly as they did the the last time I'd seen them.


I don't know whether it's just been the fact that as I get older, I wonder more what happened to them all - where they are, what they're doing or even if they're still here. Having moved away from Toronto I don't have much news floating "up" this way, and don't run into anyone from school here. Actually, that isn't totally true, because I did discover a few ... one working in the machine shop of a large local manufacturer (but that was well over 10 years ago) ... another worked in our local City Hall, and then still another whose daughter happened to be friends with my own daughter. They "bought the farm" as the saying goes ... no, really ... they have a farm here.

Beyond that, one of my bestest friends has totally disappeared as far as I can tell. I saw her last just after my first daughter was born. Since then, no word and no search has turned her up. So, Karen Sharp if you are out there ... I'd love to reconnect (or with Deb, her sister).

The list of missing pieces for me is pretty long still, but I'm really happy to have connected with the ones I did find. There are so many names I can remember, and some people, only the faces or first name but it surprises me just how many I have a memories of ... this one was short with long dark hair; that one was tall and thin with curly red hair; or that one was quiet and shy ... they all have a place in my memory. Some more than others, but for having attended a school with a pretty large student base, I'm surprised just how many I remember. And even more surprised at some of the memories that have popped up.

Some of those kids went to the same public school (for Americans, that's "grade school") as me ... General Brock. I have good and bad memories of that school, but overall, look back fondly on a lot of it. I remember a girl in most of my classes (Roma K) that lived right at the corner just before you turned onto the road where the school was ... and between her house and the school was a little variety store.  Sadly, I also remember stealing a chocolate bar from there once. I had to tell the owner because I felt so bad about it ... guess I wouldn't have made a very good shop lifter or thief.

I also met up with a highschool friend who dropped by (all the way from Yucatan in Mexico) with his wife for a visit. I hugged the snot out of them because I was so happy to see them. During lunch as we were talking (non-stop) we discovered that we'd both been married the same amount of time: 42 years. (I'm glad I wasn't the only one who got married right out of school!).

We're making plans to visit them in Mexico if we can swing it ... we winter in Florida, so it's not a long trip (by boat or plane) from there.

And ... it looks as though there are plans in the making for a school reunion in the near future.