the photograph

i was talking to my aunt yesterday and she related to me that she had a newspaper photograph from one of the local papers in texas that had about a dozen of my classmates gathered around at a local restaurant in san diego. the group apparently is attempting to make a tradition of getting together during the christmas holiday season.

now, being from the high school of a small town, the dozen or so 1989 graduates comprises about 12 percent of our graduating class, so it is anigh solid figure of folks that got together to chat.

in the photo were people i knew by name. it's impossible not to know every one of your classmates in a class of about 92 or so. so as my aunt mentioned name by name of each person, i pictured them in my head as i knew them back in the day in high school or afterward, depending where i'd seen them last.

there was erica thompson, who i'd seen last working at the alice city hall. i was there to get something for the newspaper then. we chatted about rock concerts we'd bene to. there was isabelle garcia, who i always enjoyed talking to. last time i saw her was at HEB (like a family fare) in the fruit/vegetable area when i was thee with dawn. there was sonia barrera, who i haven't seen probably in more than 10 years. the last time i really remember seeing and talking to her was probably in the early 1990s when she and i went over to another classmate's house during the christmas holidays.

there was leo ibarra, who i last saw in the county courthouse in san diego about three and a half years ago. he wasn't there for legal reaasons; he's some sort of law enforcement guy who works with juvies. there was joe lopez (or "red" as we called him for his red hair), who i was just talking about some weeks ago to dawn. they guy almost had his eye gouged out by a root in the fourth grade while playing red rover.he tripped and hit his face ona tree root.

and emy helton, who works at a bank in alice and belinda luna, who's in the welfare dept. in san diego (at least she did), both of whom i've not seen in a few years. though, i'd see emy at the bank and we'd chat a bit here and there.

and there were a few others like rolando garcia and chale trevino who i really haven't seen in ages, maybe even since the few, alcohol crazy days after high school.

i guess we get the picture. i've got stories for all of them. rattle off any name of a classmate and i can forma mental image of him or her and some anecdote about the person.

sadly, i don't keep in touch with any classmate, not even the drinking buddies who i continued going out with after high school and still managed a little contact here and ther. i think it would have been interesting to have sat in, either fully participating or in cognito, with the group. there would definitely be things to catch up on or things from the past to talk about.

i tink having left south texas and living in a different part of the country where the weather is different with seasons and living where thereis a different culture (dutch) influencing where i live, i believe i'd have some things to say. perhaps during the 20-year reunion. that's still three years away. christ, 20 years out of school! that seems weird to write.