Homework and Homecomings

I’m not an overly nostalgic guy, but lately, my mind has been on sojourn to a place and time some 27 to 29 years in the past.

My High School days…1981-83, at Springfield North High School.

It is understandable as to why I have been ruminating about those days recently. My son Ryno, celebrates his 16th Birthday this Sunday, and it called to mind when I did the same during my sophomore year.

On top of Ryno’s birthday being a catalyst for these thoughts, sometime during the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday, I had a dream that involved a class reunion of sorts.

Several old classmates and I were partying in a restaurant/bar facility, and having quite the uproarious time of it.

I reveled in the somnolent kinetoscope moment for what seemed like hours with the likes of Tom Murphy, Amy Speros, Michelle Roddy, Susan Heeg, Joe Aker, and a slew of drunken others.

There wasn’t anyone there who I didn’t like or who wasn’t buddies with me as well, which oddly, begs the question…

Why at the end of the dream did these lovable jokesters hide my clothes and contacts and laugh as I stood naked and blind as I sucked back a bottle of TJ Swan Midnight Express just prior to having sex with the uber-hot and amply breasted Pam Burkitt?

But I digress…

The dream abruptly ended as did my thoughts of those fun times. I awoke, made my way to the computer, and opened up my email.

I had but one message. It was from my High School sweetheart, Sherri.

She wrote that she is out of town in a training session for a few days, but had a dream about me, and among some electronic small talk, wanted to know how I was doing. She then ended her correspondence, by saying…

“Stay out of my dreams, Fucker. You took George Clooney’s spot!!”

Ha!! Even after knowing her for 30 years she still never fails to crack me up. And much like my dream, her email reminded me of how much of a blast we had in those days.

Sherri and I were all but inseparable back then. We worked at Hardee’s together…made fun of people together…had less than stellar teenage sex together, and while we had other friends, she and I were best friends.

I thought about that, responded to her email, flashed a smile to times past, and then remembered yet another thing.

Tuesday was the aforementioned Joe Aker’s birthday.

Joe was the best friend of mine with whom I never had sex. He’s a funny fucker and we have known each other really well since roughly 5th grade.

So, I emailed Joe quickly before I had to leave for work and got a reply from him that referenced something I and others used to say to him when we were kids. The past continued to come alive.

Once I got to work, I was in a good mood and Drive-By Mikey and I talked about our “olden days”.

It was fun. And, I am glad that I revisited those times for a few. But, later in the day, those happy thoughts were dissipated by the winds of the present and the work at hand.

I thought that was the end of it, however…

At about 5:30 P.M. Sherri’s dad came through the Beer Mine to get some brew-ha’s, and as always when he does, he said to me:

“Hi Matt. How are ya, buddy?”

I typically respond by just smiling, and saying:

“Just fine sir, how the hell are you?”

This time when responding as I always do, I laughed instead of merely smiling, because the train of past memories came rolling down the tracks as I recalled being 16 and Sherri’s dad walking in on us getting naked in their living room.

That night years ago, his voice cut through the musty dimness and asked…

“What the hell are you doing?”

As I was not incredibly sexually experienced at this point in my life, I responded:

“I’m not quite sure, sir.”

Ha…Good times, good times.

There is no point to this exposition other than this…

All of these memories made me smile for a day and I wanted to write them down, because just like the High School I attended, the folks that helped spur these memories may not always be around.

Cheers!!

Oh, and don't forget tomorrow is another installment of He Said...She Said, or perhaps, this week it will be SHE Said...He Said!!