FAST TIMES AT WAGAR HIGH - 40 YRS GONE BY

IT'S 1983 AND MY BROTHER CHUCK AND I ARE LATE FOR SCHOOL (AGAIN). FORTUNATELY FOR US AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR OUR MOTHER, WE HAVE THE KEYS TO HER CAR.

OFF WE GO, ON A LONG ROAD TRIP (OF 5 MINUTES IN THE VAST LAND KNOWN AS COHEN -SAINT-LUC OR COTE-SAINT-LUC) TO WAGAR HIGH WHERE WE HAVE BEEN ATTENDING SCHOOL SINCE GRADE 8. CHUCK PULLS INTO THE LOT WITH A SIGN CLEARLY STATING "FOR TEACHERS ONLY" BECAUSE HE IS CHUCK.

OUR FRIENDS (MOST OF WHOM WE HAVE IN COMMON) ARE STANDING AT THE SIDE ENTRANCE SMOKING CIGARETTES OR PRETENDING TO SMOKE CIGARETTES (MARLBORO RED PURCHASED ON A DAY TRIP TO PLATTSBURGH). 

HOMEROOM IS GYM CLASS SO WE SNEAK IN WITH OUR SWEATPANTS OVER OUR JEANS AND START A SLOW JOG AMONGST OUR CLASSMATES WHO SHOWED UP ON TIME.

MORNING DRAGS ON AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR THE LUNCH BELL TO RING SO WE CAN SQUEEZE INTO ONE CAR AND HEAD TO LAFLEUR FOR A WELL BALANCED MEAL OF FRENCH FRIES (THAT WILL SWEAT PROFUSELY THROGH THE BROWN PAPER BAG).

LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, AS LAST PERIOD ROUNDS THE BEND, WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF SHOWING UP TO CLASS. INSTEAD WE VISIT MR.BEST IN THE WOOD SHOP, WHO FOR THE SMALL PRICE OF HOLDING OUR HANDS, WILL WRITE US A PERMISSION SLIP FOR MISSING CLASS. THE SPECIAL PROJECT NOTED ON THAT SLIP IS "A CROOKED, SPLINTERED BREAD BOARD" (THAT MY MOTHER STILL HAS).

THEN, WE RUN OUT THE SIDE ENTRANCE (WHERE ALL THE TEACHERS ON THAT SIDE OF THE BUILDING CAN SEE US "ESCAPING" ) AND AGAIN PILE INTO A CAR AND ONTO MOPEDS AND HEAD TO THE HOUSE WHERE THE PARENTS ARE NEVER HOME. THERE WE WILL DO NOTHING OTHER THAN TALK, LAUGH AND ENJOY THE HOURS PASSING BY.

WHEN WE WERE TEENS, WE WERE TOGETHER PRACTICALLY ALL THE TIME AND THE MOMENTS IN-BETWEEN, WE WERE ON OUR LAND LINES TALKING UP A STORM (AND A BUSY SIGNAL).

WE WOULD SPEND ALL DAY AT SCHOOL TOGETHER, THEN LUNCH, THEN AFTER SCHOOL WHICH OFTEN LED TO EATING AT YOUR FRIENDS HOUSE OR EVEN SLEEPING OVER. I WAS ALL INTO VISITING A FRIEND'S HOME AND SEEING HOW THEY LIVED, WHAT THEIR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS AND DOG/CAT WERE LIKE, WHAT THEY ATE FOR DINNER, WHAT THEIR "SCENT" WAS AND JUST A PEAK OF WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

WE HAD EACH OTHER'S BACKS. WE LISTENED AND WERE PRESENT IN THE MOMENT. THINGS WERE CLEARER THEN. WE KNEW THAT SOMEONE IN EACH OF OUR FAMILIES WAS STRUGGLING, BARELY HANGING ON BECAUSE WE WITNESSED IT FIRST HAND.  THERE WERE SINGLE PARENTS TRYING TO HOLD ONTO HOPE AND DOING THEIR BEST TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILDREN. THERE WERE PARENTS AND SIBLINGS WHO SPENT TIME WITH ALL OF US, ORDERED PIZZA, TOOK US PLACES, INSPIRED AND MADE US FEEL LIKE WE MATTERED.

THERE WAS ALWAYS A PLACE TO ESCAPE TO WHEN THINGS AT HOME GOT ROUGH. OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD BACK THEN WAS FILLED WITH FAMILIES THAT ALL KNEW ONE ANOTHER.

LIFE MOVES ON AND WE DRIFT OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. WE LOSE SOME FRIENDS TO TRAGIC PASSINGS OR SOME TRAUMA THAT CAUSES THEM TO FALL APART AND VANISH BEFORE OUR EYES. 

WE MEET NEW PEOPLE BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE FRIENDS WHO WERE ALONGSIDE OF US WHEN WE TOOK THE EARLY STEPS IN OUR JOURNEY. THERE IS A CERTAIN LOVE FOR A CHILDHOOD FRIEND. THEY ARE "HOME" AND WHETHER YOU SEE THEM WEEKLY OR ONCE EVERY FEW YEARS, YOU DON'T MISS A BEAT, YOU DANCE THE WALTZ YOU MASTERED SO LONG AGO.

IT'S BACK TO 1983, GRADUATION DAY! IT'S BEEN A SLICE OF FOUR YEARS - SWEET AND SOUR AND WE ARE CLUELESS AS TO WHAT AWAITS US. BUT TODAY AND TONIGHT THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS BEING SURROUNDED BY OUR FRIENDS. THE PLAN IS TO DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY, HEAD TO THE CROSS AT MOUNT ROYAL, FOOL AROUND AND FOOL AROUND SOME MORE AND TO STAY UP ALL NIGHT AND WAKE UP TOGETHER. WE LOVE EACH OTHER AND WE ARE INVINCIBLE. 

40 YEARS HAVE GONE BY. SOMETIMES I HAVE THIS DREAM. I AM BACK LIVING IN MY CHILDHOOD HOME. MY FATHER IS STILL ALIVE AND CHATTING IT UP FROM HIS LAWN CHAIR ON THE BACK BALCONY WITH ANYONE ENTERING OR EXITING THE PARK. MY MOTHER IS COOKING DINNER, HELPING US WITH OUR HOME WORK, WRITING HER ARTICLES (ALL AT THE SAME TIME), MY DOG CASEY IS RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE HALL, MY BROTHERS ALREADY HAVE THEIR BASEBALL UNIFORMS ON EVEN THOUGH THEIR GAME DOES NOT START FOR HOURS.  GENSIS/STYX/PINK FLOYD/ELO ARE PLAYING ON CHOM. 

THE DOORBELL RINGS, MY FRIENDS COME IN, MY MOTHER FEEDS THEM AND THEN ASKS IF THEY HAD ENOUGH. AS THE SUN SETS, WE SQUEEZE INTO A CAR AND HEAD OFF INTO THE NIGHT WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS LONG AS WE'RE TOGETHER, EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY.

..........WAGAR CLASS OF 1983 40TH REUNION - OCTOBER 28, 2023 - THANK YOU GLENDA CAPLAN AND HEATHER ROSENTHAL FOR PLANNING THE EVENT.