There’s something about this time of year, even being 17-plus years removed from school, that still resonates with a certain degree of excitement. First days, new supplies in hand, a fashionable outfit all picked out the night before… just seeing snapshots of my friends’ children brings back a flood of memories from when I was a child, excitedly comparing schedules with my own classmates, mapping out what routes to take to class, planning who to eat lunch with - the important things.
An Eclipse, a Fox and a Whale … Oh My!
“An eclipse, a fox and a whale … what's next? A zebra?” These were the words overheard at Robert Moses Field 5 on the afternoon of Monday, August 21st, spoken by a little boy as he incredulously recounted the events of the day. Nearly 30 years his senior, I have to say I shared the sentiment.
A Funny Thing Happened…
A funny thing happened on my last trip to the beach; rather, several amusingly bizarre things that left my friend and I shaking our heads in bewilderment and wondering if we were, in fact, part of some sort of candid camera exposé.
A Time to Remember
My alma mater, Lindy High School, recently held its senior prom last week, bringing to mind my own end-of-year soirees which took place so many years ago.
Raising the Flag
There are many Memorial Day weekend traditions that people enjoy. Most of them tend to involve barbecues and beaches, bathing suits and sunbathing. Few take the time to truly appreciate the meaning of the holiday itself.
Seeing the Signs
I’m always looking for signs. Except when I’m not, which makes them all the more poignant and undeniable.
Seventeen
I remember the day like it was yesterday… which is fairly impressive, considering it was actually 17 years ago, to the day in fact. This momentous occasion of which I speak, on March 8th, 2000, was the date I was told by our high school principal that I was, in fact, “officially” the valedictorian of our senior class.
Planned Spontaneity
There are those who need to have every detail of each day planned down to the last minute, with little room for even the slightest compromise or delay. And then there are those individuals who prefer to fly by the seat of their pants; no blueprint, no nothing, open to whatever adventures might beckon.
Special Delivery
Several weeks ago, shortly after the passing of my “Pal,” my Grandpa, we discovered what appeared to be a small bird’s nest nestled under the awning in the backyard. Assuming it was just a collection of twigs-in-progress, I gingerly climbed on top of a chair to peek inside, only to find three beautiful blue eggs, clearly from the likes of a robin.
Rosie
Rosemarie Kupencow – “Rosie,” as I always affectionately called her – was the very first friend I made when I started working here at South Bay’s Neighbor Newspapers, just about 11 years ago. The resident proofreader, she introduced herself to me right away, and made sure I felt welcome in this new, unfamiliar setting, showing me the ins and outs of the newspaper she had come to call home for close to a decade at that point.
Forever Pals
May God always watch over you (me too). Be careful, and always be good.
Love You, Your Pal Forever
Grandpa
P.S. Did not cheat!
…An excerpt from the inscription my Grandpa, my “Pal,” wrote in the pages of my senior high school yearbook, after some gentle, good-natured prodding that, after all, he couldn’t always just leave these things to Grandma.