Friday Evening -Who Do You Remember -Teachers?
( Above:Gail Kierens,Ralf Behreans, Vincent Murphy, John Saunders, Richard Rankin, Barry Stephens)
(Left: Barry Jones Right Corner: Jacquie Ross (Zalec).


So here we are. It's Friday evening. The rain has subsided, I've picked up a video, the cats are fed and I've given the diabetic one his shot. To think I used to be deathly afraid of needles. Well I guess for the times we all passed through I should be thankful.

I have recieved a nice amount of e-mails from people I haven't seen in 30 something years.
Heidi in a Law office, Linda-who owns her own business, Richard Rankin - a great Lawyer in Ottawa area, Gervais - who published a great book that everyone should read and integrate, Colleen - a public speaker and helper of humanity as she always has been, Richard Kilpatrick -quite the poet, Debbie Hanney - who looks lovely judging by her picture -"I know I still have to call you" -soon. I'll put that picture in the blog over the weekend if you don't mind, Jacquie Ross - very quick minded, intelligent and still good looking, John Saunders - a successful man with his own TV show on ABC, Gail - who similar to Jacquie helpes people through finanical mechanisms and institutions and simply does not waste words, Barry J -with lovely wife & family in Toronto (I always knew he would do well. Hi Blaire -say hi to your brother for me.) Roddy M - the busy Film Producer flying to and from Cannes and mingling with the stars (human ones), Ricky -with lovely wife, family and guitar collection- still plays a mean and subtle guitar.

These are only some- so I guess you get the picture. I think we are going to have a good reunion.

There are still others I have to receive confirmation from. They have received my e-mails but for whatever reason so far, have not confirmed to me yet.

I have the feeling that some (-probably for good reason), deem this event as something to be dreaded.

Can you respond to this and give me a few reasons why you think one might NOT want to reunite at least one time before we all become grand old people and fade away?

In the montage of pictures in the previous blog, I was asked by Sharon S who I was standing beside in my grad Tux. That was my Grandmother. I have always been so proud of her and my Grandfather. They existed in the culture of 'the deaf' and spoke in sign. This is my mother's first language and part of my culture.

Some of my friends when coming over to the house when I was young were exposed to this culture and language. Children are wonderful when it comes to visually oriented forms of communication...no not that kind... real sign langage. Well, hold on, - you're right, the other kind is just as real. In fact it becomes even more demonstrative by those in the world of the deaf.

I remember Jimmy Williams or Roddy or Steve Porier or Norman and Stevie Perry coming over to hang out and seeing my mother and Grandmother chatting, 'hands like butterflies flying and faces providing contextual emphasis and mock emotion in their 'dialogue'. My friends eventually became used to seeing my Grandmother mode of communication and she grew used to them . I miss my Grandmother. She was one of my best friends. I think she would be very proud of me and my friends ( she knew them better than they thought. There is much we say by our action or lack of it.).

Steve Poirier, I have not heard from him yet. I have received an e-mail from someone who would really like to see him involved in this communication blog .

About 20 years ago, Steve happened to meet up with me and my wife, Jane on Park Ave. in Montreal. What a photographer!

We paid him to take photos of Jane for posterity. I am very happy 20 years later that we did. Jane is lovely even now , but between Jane's grace & beauty then and Steve's remarkable talent as a photographer we now have some wonderful keepsakes today. If you read this Steve - Thank You. (You should have charged more.)

We have two winners of the 'guess the before and after' pictures from one of the "Loop communication e-mails" . The prizes are to be awarded at the reunion. They cannot be transferred if you can't make it and must be picked up at the dinner night in May 2007. The winners are Gervais Bushe and Bruce Bennett.

I was asked to name all the people in the montage that was sent out in that loop message. Perhaps I'll do so in a future blog. There were a lot of people in that one - 7 meg worth or more asserts Brian McInnis. You probably saw Mark Stafford in that one. Roddy McManus says that he'll touch base John (Mark's brother) and will ask him for his e-mail address. Hey! It's all word of mouth - we need you all, to be contacting people and have them send me a confirmation e-mail on their interest in attending the event.

Now, I know Hopeton is back from Mytle Beach so come on ... send me an e-mail please... others have been asking. Lorraine -talk some sense into Mr.Bashfull please.

There is a contingent of bashful gymnasts out west who might consider doing the same.

And Romy - are we going to hear you sing at least one last time? Remember the coffee houses held in the high school -in the room we converted to a "smoking room". Well it is now a supply store room for old English lit books. I trhink Romy did 'Black day In July' better than Gordie himself.

I'm telling you, when walking down those halls last week - I swear I could still hear a familiar voice bark "stop running in the halls!". And there is still that floor polish smell!

Do you remember Mr. Stickney, Sally Clark,or Miss Westgate, Mr. Guindi when we joined Maple School and Chateauguay High into Billings when we were in grade 7?

Do you remember Mr.Dikaitis, Mrs. Thomas, Mr. Rossiter in Grade 8.

How about Mrs.Proulx, Mrs. Strike,Mr.Duff, or Sister "Never in a month of Sundays" Folio,
Mr. Radakir or Mr. Roberts....Mr. Meldrum, Atkins,Taylor, Royle? Mr.Howes, Mrs. Morison , Mr.Plewinski or Arnie Petersen or Mr. Wesslow? Aha! I knew you would get at least one!

There are many more I have not yet mentionned. But I have to go watch my movie now.

There are more pictures coming soon! Have you got any you want to e-mail to me for this blog?

Go ahead -leave a comment , memory or story of your own. It's o.k. this is not for marks. Everyone passes. And you can say you got "published" !

Past Image versus Present Reality

What is it that makes a highschool reunion at once so enticing and yet so ominuos? Is it the nostalgia to touch base with the past- to see what all the old buddies are up to? Or to simply see what they look like now compared to you?

I'm sure for men it is much more different than women. I cannot speak for women, so maybe if you happen to be a woman you can add to this and give me some feed back.

For me, I think of how I behaved, some of the things I said and I wish I can go back and change them. I know there's nothing I can do to change "my past image" in some people's minds of who they think I was. But at least I know if they met me as I am "all grown up", they would see and experience perhaps something better and carry away with them a better image and idea of who I am and what my capabilities are.

So, I think that if this is true of me, then surely it is true of others. Perhaps not all, but some. This is part of the spirit I approach the HSB 35 year Class of '72 and friends '71 and '73 (including those who graduated, those who did not, including those from '70 and '74 who want to join in).

Curiosity

I think I am also very curious to see you again. You who passed by in the hall, you who I may have stared at in Gym class as you did everything so well, or did not. You who achieved so much early on, you who stayed quiet and under the radar for the most part hanging out with a few friends.

I think of my old friend Barry Jones from way back even before grade seven when he and I, Steve Porier and a few others were all called down from class, lined up and given the strap. I used to tell people it was for "talking on the bus". As if!

How we howled and hooted! Our lunch was not our lunch. It was our missile collection for unwary passers by on Mcleod Street as our bus passed by. Well OK, I might have taken a bite of the apple before I winged it as we zoomed along Craik Street. Grade 7 -Wow. What an intro to high school.