Vacations Always End

Author: siggy

Vacations always end.  Today Chuck and I will go on that fishing trip we talked about for, at least, a year. Unless, it is cancelled, again.  We were supposed to go fishing on Lake Pontchartrain on Wednesday but the waves were too choppy and the bottom of the lake was stirred up. The fishing would have been lousy that day. This is my last chance this visit to go fishing.  I have never caught a fish that weighed several pounds.  I might catch a speckled trout or if I am lucky a redfish that weighs even more.  Chuck has never fished in this area.

Maybe, next year we will go camping again.  We will see.  In any case it was fun and I am looking forward now to flying home and sleeping in the same bed with my wife and seeing all my critters (I especially miss Tilla, my favorite dog) and being in familiar surrounding.  It was nice to go away but thank God I have a place to go home to.  And a wife to return to.  This is the longest we been apart–one week.

Having a childhood friend is a real gift.  We have a history.  He knew my parents and the sisters.  We have a connection I do not necessarily understand but it is there.  He is retired now.  I am not working so I can visit him any time.  He and I were on our high school tennis team.  In our freshman year, in the county championship we played second doubles and won and the newspaper reporter covering the match called us ‘peanut sized freshman’. (???) He did grow up to be six foot.  I didn’t.  Now he lives with his wife in New Orleans.  He used to live in Ohio and we camped in PA for at least five years in a row in a state park somewhat equidistant from our homes.  We have seen each other at least the last eight years once a year.  We had a long period we were out of touch–over thirty years.  I did not know where he lived but my sister went to a high school reunion and I found out from her what city he lived in and I tracked him down.  He still makes me laugh with his wry, understated humor.  And I found out we still have a “connection”.  We never run out of things to discuss.  Not many people have that kind of history with a childhood friend.  We attended the same grammar school grades and high school.  I know he is a real gift.

It is going to be odd meeting someone you played with as a child sixty years ago.  And then lost contact with.  What do you share of your life.  Sixty years is a lifetime.  What do you have to show for it?  His call from Paris came out of the blue.  Somehow he tracked me down.  I am nervous about meeting him and his family.  The rendezvous may only last sixty minutes.  We may tire of each other right away.  What do you relate that is important in that short period?  How can you possibly sum up the highlights of your life?  Should you even try?  Maybe, just enjoy each others company.  We will see.