Shared Memories

Friday night, I attended a gathering at Luke's Family Restaurant in Arlington for the first two graduating class of Carlisle County High School. 

Since this was a yearly mini-reunion, all of our classmates were not there.  But I got to visit with two of whom I had not seen in years: Barbara, who traveled all the way from Florida for the event, and Richard, who is in bad health but still has that same twinkle in his eye.

After delicious catfish dinners, there was much reminiscing.

"Remember Judy sitting out there on the sidewalk, crying her eyes out, when we were in first grade?" said Joyce Gail.

Judy laughed.  "I was such a baby!"

"Not as big a baby as Jimmy Lee," I said, "The poor boy cried so much that he walked around with bloodshot eyes and a bloated face for weeks!"

Later, our group gathered in the parking lot for pictures. (I must've had my camera on the wrong setting; the picture came out too light. Darn it!)

"Alright," called Billy, "Who's going to the play-party tonight?"

"Listen up!" I said, "Billy will be at The Hut tonight in his big ole black car to take us to the play-party!"

Pitty Pat and I loved going to those play-parties, although Mother had forbidden us to go.  "They drink and do no telling what over there!" she said.  Nevertheless, we piled into Billy's car and sped off to Wickliffe every chance we got.

"Remember Ray Smith?" Billy said.

"How could anyone forget Ray Smith?" someone said.

"He always sang Elvis's Hard Headed Woman, I said, "At every play-party!"

Several people began singing:  "Well, a hard headed woman, a soft hearted man, been the cause of trouble ever since the world began...!" 

Believe it or not, Ray shot to fame a couple of years later with Rockin' Little Angel.

"Remember that hayride Sophomore year," someone said, "When SJ smooched so much that her lips bled?"

There was almost total silence, and then everyone burst out laughing.  (Fortunately, SJ was not there!)      

Before the evening was over, Billy, Jackie and Buddy, and Chuck told me they read my blog.  (Thanks, y'all!) 

"Trouble is," Billy said, "You've quit posting!"

I'll do better, Billy.  Promise!

Ah, the days of play-parties, hayrides and rock & roll!  There are no friends like old friends; no memories like shared memories.  And I appreciate them more and more as the years go by.