Travel Journal

Today I got and a wedding invitation from an old friend. Well, actually he is a friend of my brother, but I grew up with him as well so he is close to me too. I can’t wait to go to his wedding – his wedding will be the wedding of the century. (Other than my own wedding of course). His may not be big or fancy necessarily, and I don’t even know what it will be like. But the reason I’m looking forward to it is because of the reunion we will have. I will be seeing old friends that I have not seen in ten years or more, friends that I have grown up with. At his wedding will be his family, which includes some of my best friends from early child and some of my classmates, because they all related.

It started with Jennifer – I knew her from elementary school, probably around fourth grade. If I get chance to meet with her again, then she will be the person if I’ve have known the longest. (There was also a Susan Gatlin I knew in first-grade and I knew her in high school as well, I was never really that close to her so I don’t consider her someone I’ve known a long time. But technically Susan would be the person that I have known the farthest back and known for more than a few years.) Anyway, Jennifer would be the one that I would consider a close friend and I’ve known the farthest back. But I’ve been out of touch with her for about 10 years now – the last time I saw her was in college.

So then I met her brother Nathan. Nathan and I used to walk home together since we lived roughly in the same neighborhood. So I got to know him, and then met the rest of his family – Alex and Jon (and Jennifer). Nathan became a best friend and we hung out all the time – running around the neighborhood, exploring the forests, and just getting into trouble. (As a side note now that I remember it, I also met Bryan Jamison around this time. He and I – we actually do keep in touch nowadays, so I guess he IS currently the person I’ve known the longest that I still keep in touch with. When I first met him, he was my bully, so it was kind of different and another story. But he is now a good friend and we try to keep in touch as we can.)

So I grew up around Nathan and Alex, and my brother played with Jon back in Nacogdoches. Around middle school, Nathan and Alex left Texas to go live in New Mexico with their real mom. So I did not get to see Nathan and Alex again until late in high school, and by then we come have drifted apart. (Alex actually worked with me for a summer in McDonalds.) I e-mailed to Nathan over the years, but I have not heard from him in three years or more.

So when my brother told me Jon was getting married this year, I told my brother that I had to be invited to that wedding. I missed the wedding for Mindy, and I regretted it. I was not I invited to her wedding though. Mindy’s wedding was the second wedding of the century, again because the whole gang was there, except me. Mindy and Jon were close friends. But I hope to make it to Jon’s wedding this time though – so I can see Jennifer, Nathan, Alex, Jon, and even Mindy. And even little Steve will be there as well, though the last time I saw him – he only three years old. And Helen who is their mother is now a doctor supposedly and I am looking forward to seeing her as well. And of course my brother and possibly my sister will be there, and possibly Jennifer’s new baby. It will be like my second high school reunion.