Reunions

[Gunny]

The 23rd of this month will mark 50 years since I arrived in Marine Boot Camp in San Diego Ca...

Also the 50th year since graduating High School. 

I went to the 25th Reunion and it was okay, I was still in good shape and life was good. I had hoped to see the woman who dumped me shortly after I got to Vietnam. We dated from the 10th grade, through High School, Boot Camp and Infantry Training etc. and when I left after my ten day leave to report to Staging Battalion and then RVN.

I got letters daily for about a month then the frequency dropped. Then I got the good one. Dear Rob, I know you'll be happy for me I met the most wonderful guy. Yep, I was thrilled.

I daydreamed about taking Rand R to Hawaii, catching a flight to Dallas, doing her in and then back, no one the wiser. Luckily I hadn't been in-country long enough to get RandR. I digress

Today I received an invite to a 50th party, not a real reunion, just a casual meet up. Signed by her. 

I don't do Facebook but my son does and he looked her up. Sent me a couple of pictures. She's still as beautiful as she was Oh those many years ago.

I think I will be the one absent this time. 

Funny how life works out.

Rob

 

[Txjaybird]

Well geez Gunny........remember looks can be deceiving.  In my life romantic "do overs" truly needed to stay been there and done thats....you keep the damn shirt    Just about everyone I know has a special "I wonder what if" relationship tucked away in their memories.  Good place fer'em I think  :s or maybe not.

Jewellann

 

[TMG51]

Doesn't get you anywhere to sit at home and be bitter about it. Go meet some people and chat, don't go in with any expectations, especially not about her, and you'll be better for the experience.

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

What happens when we are young and impulsive should be swept under a rug. Maybe leaving you was her worst mistake or the best thing she ever did. There is no room for leftover anger of long ago hurts at our age.
Life works out the way it does but there's still freewill.

I'm experienced in living with regrets and long for one do over in particular.
Would you be able to handle a let down if you met her and found out it won't work?
Would you be satisfied to be safe and not find out?
It can go either way.
I don't have an idea what you meant by Rand R and the doing her in part bothers me immensely but you may not mean anything by it.

Take care my friend
Dragonfly

 

[speedhighway46]

I learned my years ago "you can't go back." Fond old memories cannot be revisited; better to leave them in you mind and enjoy them when you want, than to try and go back and vanquish them forever.

To me, life is not trying to relive where you've been but continuing to move ahead down life's road enjoying yourself. Gunny, you're pretty good at that!

Just my opinion . . .

 

[Ballenxj]

I understand full well the bitterness of disappointments like that, but time has taught me sometimes it's better to forget about the past, and look to the future.
That old book has been read, now is the time to put it away and write a new one.

 

[Gunny]

Dragonfly, Rand R is Rest and Relaxation for 7 days that we could go to certain places. A lot of the married guys went to Hawaii or those with girlfriends. I ended up going to Australia and having a great time. I certainly have no ill will towards her now, she looked lovely and happy. That's a good thing. But I will admit to being a bit bothered at the time.

I wrote that last night after taking my sleeping pills and listening to music that brought back memories.

I'm at the end stage of my life, I have no desire to rekindle or try to rekindle any relationship.

I shouldn't have started listening to The Moody Blues, when Wildest Dreams played, I typed. In the light of day it sounds like a pity party, it wasn't, just reflecting on things.

Rob

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

That's okay, that's why we're here for each other. Not everything needs kept buried.
Dragonfly

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

If it were me, I'd go.  What do you have to lose?

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

I went to my 50th reunion a couply of years ago. I had the longest hair (men and women).

 

[Gunny]

If I go I will wear the 'Corset' type device the VA gave me. A large part of my beer belly is caused by medication and this shirt like torture device makes me almost slim. It takes two people to put on, someone pulling from the back and the last time I wore it I thought I was going to have to cut the damn thing off. I don't know if women still wear those things, but if you do, Bless Your Heart. The VA gave it to me to wear with the small hernia I have on my belly button.

I may get the old scooter shined up and go.

If I go I'll take pictures.

Rob

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

Yeah! Bodies are beautiful, fat or skinny. We are who we are. So what if she's prettier than you. Lol.

 

[SoulRaven]

My 45th comes up in August this year. I have missed everyone and haven't been home since 1979, no regrets, I was busy living life. Frankly, I was basically a social outcast in high school and beyond. I made my own clothes or they came from a deep discount store or 2nd hand. My mom cut my hair (she wasn't good at it).

I didn't think Rob to really mean anything by what he said, I got it. We all look back in time, especially when we get older I think and then "snap" back to our reality. I am very thankful to have left home and never returned. I think maybe the 50th reunion? I have 3 or 4 friends still in the area I would like to see, and another friend that is supposed to attend with me someday, the only friend I have stayed close to long distance.

I love the movie "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion". I'm in the "C" group and as one of them says upon arrival at the 10 year, "What a waste of a tank of gas."

 

[Gunny]

Dragonfly, even when we were together I was sort of 'out of my league' she was beautiful, me? Average. When I first asked her out and she said yes I was surprised. We just hit it off. I was never 'A' team in high school, she was but somehow it worked for four years or so.

I came back from Vietnam a changed man. Other than the injuries I was mentally changed. Things that had been fun weren't anymore, I liked the adrenaline high that came with my job.

I won't make it more than it is, I may go, I like a challenge but it's not to be rude or try and rekindle a romance. Maybe even a slow dance if the hip cooperates.

Rob

 

[DannyB1954]

The saying when I was in was once you leave home, there is no going back. Even if nothing else has changed, you have. You are not who you were, and she is not who she was. Life has happened to her as well. Maybe the two new people will hit it off, maybe you will both end up being grateful it didn't.


I have not gone to any of my reunions. High school was not that much fun. Nothing for me to really go back to.

 

[ArtW]

I for sure wouldn't let the presence or lack of presence of a past flame decide for me where i will go, that was then, this is now
I also would not entertain anything beyond a friendship with her, she had her chance

 

[jimindenver]

Pining for the past is just that, wishing for what was. I have mine and while there are times that those feeling sneak back in, they are tempered by the fact that we have had contact over the years and I can see how we were and still are on different paths. It wouldn't have worked out even if we had stayed together back then or got back together today even though we both hold a special place in each others hearts.

 

[Gary68]

turn that pacemaker on high and go get you some gunny,make for a great last sentence in your obit

 

[LeeRevell]

This year will be my graduating HS class's 47th year reunion. I only ever got an invite on the 10th and 20th. Never have gone. I do go to family reunions every couple years. More of them pass away, so I try to see the oldsters before they pass.
In high school, I was ignored by "the in crowd", and never felt any school loyalty or "peer pressure", as I truly had no peers. Not that I was,any smarter, but I learned early on to "avoid the noids" by taking the advanced courses. I spent my entire senior year off campus taking a vo-tech class at the airport. Only set foot on campus to register, and to take the required yearbook photo.

 

[rvpopeye]

Did you have any other friends you might get a kick out of seeing ?
Live for the day.

I never went to one of mine because I never had a Saturday night off !
I did once tell the guy organizing them if he wanted me to go he had to hire my band ........just got damn DJs.
Live music rules ! If it weren't for us DJs wouldn't have anything to do .

Anyway , I'd go just to see the gang (if any are left).