If you’re tuning in for a sports comment, you’re going to be disappointed today.
Not nearly as disappointed as my supervisors, who decree I stick to sports in this segment and sports alone.
But Saturday night, in a true rarity, I skipped the Attack game and bolted to Collingwood where the children of 1960, specifically the Midland Secondary School Class of 1979, was having a joint 50th Birthday Party & Reunion.
And truthfully from late afternoon arrival to wee hour of the morning departure, I barely thought about the Attack, or sports, or radio for more than a second.
I got totally caught up in the laughter and the stories; the reminiscing and the gentle revisions of stories old & new; stories that we all remembered, sort of remembered, or, in some cases, stories we were hearing for the first time.
It was warm, nostalgic, amazing & so much fun……
In fairness, not every memory & flashback, nor every update tickled and amused.
Life never runs smooth or perfect, whether we’re talking about high school days from 1974 to 79, or about events that have transpired in the 30 years since.
Still, with the ability to reflect and the perspective of 50 years behind most of us, there was also a powerful current of honesty when we spoke of incidents and episodes that we wish we could somehow alter; then or now.
I’m looking forward to the Attack games this weekend, they’re pretty big, and I’ll get back to sports in this segment tomorrow, but for the past couple of days, there’s been a really positive after-buzz generated by a weekend visit with people who were important & special then, and, as I realize after a terrific catchup session over the weekend, just as significant today.
I’m Fred Wallace