A Trip to Memory Lane

A trip planned in March has had me out of town since Thursday.

It has come at a good time. This much needed break to clear my head and recharge is a dog-less trip down memory lane.

Yesterday morning I stood in front of my high school and was taken back nearly 40 years to an age of innocence and a world so much different than the one I know today. Around me old and new friends from that time.  It's easy to see that we are a pretty diverse crowd. Life has taken us in so many directions.

~Fort Knox High School~

But at the time we attended Fort Knox High School, (in Kentucky) we all had one thing in common, our Dad's were in the Army.

I suppose at times like this it is only natural to rummage around in ancient memory and recall events and classmates and the journey to adulthood that is high school and is so full of first-time experiences.

~The United States Bullion Depository, or the Gold Vault, what Fort Knox is famous for~

To say our class has experienced change is understated. We did not imagine a world where we would carry a phone in our pockets, and connect on something called "social media."

For a lot of us, we've not been back to Fort Knox for many years.  I was lucky in that a friend of mine who used to live down the street from me still lives in the area and works on post.  She gave me a great tour of Fort Knox and was able to show and tell me all about what has changed, and what hasn't.

~Our house hasn't changed at all, at least not on the outside~

And talk about change, this weekend I've seen lots of gray hair and waistlines that have expanded. Of course my classmates looked at me and saw the same thing. But despite those outer changes I also saw football players, cheerleaders, fellow band members, and even "that girl" who bullied a few of us. I wonder if she remembers that?

~The fire-station nearby across the street that we used to go and buy a soda and candy bar for 25 cents!~

I guess it's a reminder that maybe we can’t really go home again - There are some that say you shouldn’t live in the past. I suppose that's a good rule to live by for the most part.

~The movie theater near our 'housing area' that I spent lots of Saturday's~ 

But for this weekend, and for this class reunion, that phrase was tossed out the window, as we remembered those good times and shared a weekend with friends and classmates from long ago. I'm especially glad I was able to come and spend time with a friend who I've stayed in contact with for more than 40 years. She is a true connection to my past, and I treasure our friendship.

~This seemed like such a steep hill to ride our bikes down. It doesn't seem that steep any more~

Today I said good-bye to those classmates, and had a really nice visit with family that still lives in the area. On Monday it'll be time to head home and back to my life.  I miss the dogs.