Donna Roberts, is the third old friend I've managed to reconnect with in recent years due to that technology. I found her, as well as many other former high school classmates, on Facebook. While I'm not an avid fan of the website, it does have its benefits I have to admit.
I first met Donna over 25 years ago. We were probably in grade 8 or 9, I can't quite remember. All I know is that I was pretty young because I used to deliver newspapers to the building she lived at with her parents. We actually never were that close, but to tell you the truth, I sort of had a crush on her. (If you're reading this now, Donna, I'm turning a little red). Anyway, after high school I lost touch with many of my friends. Some went to university here in Toronto. Others went further away, either here in Ontario, or across Canada or in the U.S. After obtaining their degrees some returned, others stayed put. From our home in Toronto we scattered like seeds in the wind.
Donna, was like one of those seeds in the wind. From Toronto she went to B.C. and eventually ended up in Denver, CO. Her life mirrors, in some ways, that of one of my other old friends I found on Facebook, Christine Mulgrew (in the photo on the right). She eventually married, had kids and ended up in the States as well. Christine is currently living in Los Angeles. It was great reconnecting with both of them again. We chatted on Facebook, updating each other on what transpired in our lives over the more than 20 years since we last saw each other. We talked about our relationships, places we've been to/lived in, how we "felt old" being in our early 40's... things like that. There was a lot to catch up on. After all, it was more than a half a lifetime ago since we were last in contact.
I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Christine again this summer (2009) at our high school reunion. She flew in unannounced from California. After gathering at the school to reminisce, a group of us went to the nearby mall to Jack Astor's to have a beer or two. Even the mall has changed. When I grew up in Don Mills it was an open air mall. Not long after they flattened it to make an indoor mall. That stood for about thirty years before they knocked it down and redeveloped the area and built an upscale, outdoor mall once again. Funny how that happened... old becomes new again.
The other picture I have up there (on the left) is with my dear friend, Ron Grunwald. Of all my friends he's one of the people I've known longest. We grew up four houses away from each other. Just down the street. I believe we went to Cub Scouts together. He was on the same T-ball team as me. He was at my fourth birthday party for goodness sake. We've known each other since we were knee high to a grasshopper. Ron and I saw less of each other after grade 9. After graduating from Don Mills Junior High (now Don Mills Middle School), Ron went to York Mills Collegiate, while I went next door to Don Mills Collegiate Institute along with most of my other friends. Not long after, Ron's parents sold their home and moved north of the city and that was that. I lost contact with him. It was like he disappeared off the face of the earth. That was until one day, possibly back in 2005 or so, my mother told me he dropped by the old neighbourhood. She was working in her garden in the front yard of the same house I grew up in when a strange man pulled up in his car and asked if she knew who he was. My mother didn't recognize him at first. After all it had been nearly 20 years since she last saw Ron. When she found out who he was they had a nice chat and he left. I was quite happy when she told me she met him, but equally disappointed when she said she didn't get any contact information from him. All I knew was that he was down in Atlanta, GA now. That's where my good friend the internet came in. It wasn't too hard to do a search for him. Though I have to say I wasn't quite certain the Ron Grunwald I found was the same one I grew up with. I sent a brief e-mail out and, behold, it was. Marvelous! We met a year later, in 2006, when he came up to Toronto with his wife to meet his family and other friends. How great is that? For all the bad things the internet is known for, it has its good side as well.
In the end... I suppose it's best not to lose touch with those we care about. But, if you do, there's nothing that says you can reconnect and be a part of each others lives once again. Take care, my friends.
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