OLD FRIENDS AND MEMORIES

I just spent most of this past week in my home town of Oxford Alabama. My wife and me were there to look after my mother who had stints placed in her leg to improve blood flow. Mother is doing fine and walking great for a person in their mid - eighties.

While I was there I took the opportunity to visit with an old friend and member of my high school graduation class and later visit with another friend and classmate who is slowly recovering from a stroke. I think these visits were interesting and beneficial to all of us.

The first individual that I mentioned, is a very unique person. I think he might best be described as an intellectual recluse. Even in high school and college this guy stood out as very smart and a bit of a loner. It was obvious that he had rather be at home with his short wave radio than in a social setting with his peers. Since college he has been a Captain and helicopter pilot for the Army in Vietnam; a helicopter pilot for Air America (CIA) in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia; a pilot for Singapore Air and an L1011 pilot for Saudi Air. He and his wife lived and traveled extensively in southeast Asia for many years.

Unfortunately this friend's wife died about three years ago. That took the wind out my buddy's life sail. He is not and probably never will be the driven personality he was before he lost his wife. She was the anchor in his life and he never realized it until she was gone. Without his anchor he is adrift in the high seas of life and without direction.

Still, this old boy is a walking talking piece of History with loads of war stories and information. His mother is in her ninetys and he looks after her needs for the time being. He talks about his lack of family and what his future may hold. There is a pull on his heart to go back to southeast asia where he and his wife lived so many years. I understand that. There is such a pull drawing me back to Israel. The difference is, I thank my friend may act on his calling. I doubt that I will ever be able to again answer mine. I think I am too far over lifes mountain to make another side trip. The ten hour plane trip alone would probably kill me.

Other than the above discussions with my old buddy there was a great deal of reminising about classmates and the years gone by. This brought back a lot of memories and thoughts about how we all got from there to here and of those who did not make it this far. I am attempting to drag my buddy into the new century by pushing him to get on Facebook and to find a female companion with whom to get out of the house and do things. So far I haven't been very successful in getting him to develop a social life.

For the sake of brevity I will talk about the visit with my other old friend in another writing. Don't want to bore you too much.