7 of 63 graduates! Well, it's a start anyway. Jonna works for Ranger Creek Ranch and it was the perfect setting for our 20 year reunion. On the way to Vera, I thought about the day I met Jonna Nelson. My family was looking to buy Bobby and Sue Kings' house on Stratton Street and Jonna lived across the street. Mom and Dad left me in the car and I remember standing in the backseat floorboard and hanging out the window talking to Jonna who had strolled across to chat about the cool possibility being neighbors and the scary reality of kindergarten approaching. We ended up living on Stratton Street for all of my growin' up years and so did Jonna. Ironically, she and I have the same birthday. We started life together! And we started our twelve years of school together and here we are still friends with our lives criss-crossing again. Back then, Stratton Street divided us and now the Brazos River divides us.
I'm on my twelvth year of marriage and it dawned on me that the classmates in which I long to connect with shared another important twelve years of my life. This is our first time, as a class, to attempt a get-together on our own, no other classes. As the class of '88, we have twelve of the greatest years in common and I hope that it only grows from there. Jonna said that in those attempts to re-union in the past she couldn't come because she just wasn't over 'it' yet. 'It' was hard to explain, but I surely understood what she meant.
Thirty or so from the class of '68 was at RCR that same night in another meeting area, and we crossed over one another from time to time. Bob Young was one of 'em and said, "Oh forty years rolls around pretty fast, wait till classmates start dying off then they (ones who don't come) will start to care."
Chris Jackson and Loretta Hicks from the class of '88 have passed away and that is a hard fact to swallow. Tina Wheeler remorsed the fact of Chris' death over the phone after apologizing that she couldn't come, but she really wanted to and will if circumstances allow in the future. Laura Murry couldn't come because of a scheduled family vacation with her 'new' family. I talked to Alex Culver, he seemed interested but short notice kept him away. Kelly Schur was at market till the end of the month for her business, Valley Pecan, in Chilicothe. Susan's husband had plans. Lisa Poteet, Tammy Cook and Brian Carlock had prior engagements. Gary Neill, Spencer Tucker and I think Chad had go-cart races with their kids that same night. I genuinely think that Gary would have come, otherwise. A few, I think three to be exact, said they would come when hell freezes over....hmmm, don't think their over 'it', yet?!~ But, hope that'll change.
So??? Who did come? Jonna Nelson, Tammie Kinnibrugh, Kim Wicker, Lan Winn, David Howell, Kelly Moorehouse and Carla Bradley. David's two gorgeous daughters were there and played lotz with Kelly's two daughters and Lan's daughter. Carla didn't stay for the steak dinner (which was to die for), but we got the chance to meet her daughter and see family pics. We were kept quite entertained by Kims' zany sense of humor and Reno chimed in a bit, as expected. The only level headed one of the bunch was Lan's wife, Heather. We laughed till we cried and coughed. We hooped and hollared about crab soccer, explosions in physical science, band trips, fights, portable buildings, lick Mondays, etc. Kim and I even sang a few bars of Ceilito Lindo from Mrs. Purdues' Spanish Class. If I left anything out, I hope you guyz will comment below. Jonna has figured out a way of keeping us young...we are going to have the second anniversary of our twentieth reunion next summer. And, for some reason, I think that Lan will hold her to it.
'It'? Maybe some of our friends from those twelve years will get over their 'it' and join us in becoming lifelong friends because we miss them and who knows what tomorrow holds. But, no one will beat Jonna and I....friends from birth!
"Eighty-eight, eighty-eight, eigh, eigh, eigh, eigh, eighty-eight!"
