A face from the past

I think it is interesting when someone from the past reaches out with a touch. With the amount of moving around we have done over the past several decades, we have left a lot of friendships behind.  Late last week I had a “face from the past” get in touch courtesy of Facebook.  Ann is a former high school friend with whom I’ve had but a single contact since the mid 1970s; we ran into each other at her (and my brother’s) HS class reunion in 1991.

I haven’t lived in my hometown of Pittsburgh since I was 18, so I never casually run into old high school classmates in the grocery store or the like. As I have written earlier, I have stayed in close touch with one old friend, and became reacquainted with another over the past few months. All of that is just a way of saying that a reconnect with someone from that time of my life is a rare treat.

Fortunately, Mrs. Poolman is not the jealous type, because Ann could be categorized as a “former girl friend.” We dated for about six months after I graduated from HS. She was the first girl I could actually describe as a “girl friend.” We had a fun time and when we broke up, we remained friends. No hard feelings on either side. She was quite smart with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. She went on to become a tax attorney.

A "Snipe" sailboat

I also remember her parents fondly. Her dad had her same sarcastic wit, and while he didn’t spare me, he was generally pretty nice to me. They had a small sailboat, and he taught me how to sail. Her mom was a real sweetheart. I think I was nearly as fond of her as I was of Ann.

So in the course of six months of dating, I had some fun and received an introduction to both relationships and sailing. Ann also took up knitting during that time, and she made me two sweaters that I wore for several more years. All told – a very positive experience and a pleasant memory.

Thanks for reaching out, Ann!

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