Everyone's got stories about high school reunions... who showed up, who didn't (either too busy to make it or just missing), what have you... so it's my turn now, as I'm back in Memphis at my 20-year high school reunion, and after the first evening last night, have had a pretty good time...
But here's the kicker - I've got my 20 year high school reunion next month in Knoxville.
Confused? It makes sense in the end...
I should have graduated from White Station High School in Memphis. The summer right before 10th grade, though, my father got transferred across the state and we moved to Knoxville, where I finished at Bearden High School. Now don't get me wrong, Bearden was great and I've got a ton of friends there, many of whom I still talk to and/or email regularly.... but had we stayed, I would never have left White Station, as it was a good school, and I had a lot of friends there...
So earlier this year, I got an email from Tom McAllister mentioning the 20 year reunion was coming up, and I quickly sent off an email saying "I'm there!" - assuming it was from the Bearden reunion committee, as Tom McCallister was in my graduating class. Did you catch my mistake? Tom McAllister was from White Station, Tom McCallister was at Bearden. I'd completely forgotten about the semi-duplication.
It wasn't until a reread the notice a few days later that the name David Kustoff jumped out at me, and I realized that somehow I'd ended up on the White Station reunion list. After I emailed Kustoff about the confusion, he said to come anyway, so here I am...
I'm glad I did - while the heat in the place down on Beale Street was ungodly last night, it was a fun evening, seeing tons of old friends that (in my case) it'd been MORE than 20 years since I'd seen last... it seemed like a lot of my old bandmates were there, but not all...
People seem to be doing well - some people don't look like they've aged a day, like Amy Lazarus or Patrice Williamson... once I get home I'll post some pictures... some looked completely different, like Donald Crisp, now with dreadlocks - but once you took a good look at his face you could tell it was him...
David Kustoff always seemed to be bigger than the rest of us, both in height and bulk (not in a bad way, tho) - I guess we all caught up to him, as I'm taller than him now. I heard he had some health problems a few years ago, but he looks really good now...
Some people I'd really hoped to see were no-shows, like Tracy Howell (Patrice is ticked at you not coming, Tracy!), Cecil Aycock, Anthony Echols, Stacy Purvis, Diana Nance, and Leslie Hazlewood. I doubt they'll see this, but you guys should have been there!
Strangely enough, I found out that Eric Seymour (who was also in the trombone section with me) not only lives in Knoxville now, he just started working for the CBS station there (I'm at the WB)!
Last night helped, tho... I'd been feeling somewhat depressed yesterday, as driving around Memphis was hitting me hard, how much things had changed... I've not been in Memphis for probably ten years, but there were so many things that were just *gone* that seemed like they should have stayed there forever - they'd certainly BEEN there forever, and were there last time I was here... Memphis Comics down on Highland? Gone... 3 Little Pigs BBQ right next door? Gone... Griddley's? Gone... our old house on Ridgefield? It was there, but whoever owns it now has let it go - it looks like crap... same for my grandmother's house down on Park...
There's a reunion to-do tonight at the baseball staduim that some of us are hoping those who couldn't make it last night will be at. Hopefully I'll be able to take more pictures, as last night people were talking and catching up so much that few pictures were taken, except until the very end...
I'm glad I came down, tho... I missed a lot of these guys...
