The Absent Uncle: Old friends

I don’t think I have mentioned one of the really good things I am experiencing in my later life (my 70’s).

At our 50th class reunion – Marshall (Minn.) High School Class of 1969 – I was fortunate to have had time to converse with a number of classmates that I had relationships with during our elementary and secondary educational years – and then for the following some 50 years – nothing. 

At the reunion we so enjoyed our conversations, exchanging of memories, and that renewed connection. It was great! 

We then agreed that we would stay in touch – the four of us.   

But really, I have been there, done that with other friends in other times. Empty agreements, sounds good at the time, and then life gets in the way of time to keep that agreement. 

But then came COVID. Contact with the outside world changed for all of us. 

Somehow, we remembered our desire to stay in touch; one of our four had a zoom account. I had experience with holding a group together from the past and the next thing you know we are talking weekly! It’s been going on for just about three years! My wife dubbed us ‘the Minnesota Boys.’ 

We have planned get togethers (with spouses) and for one reason or another the plans fell through. We have had one dinner together with all of us, plus spouses together in Minneapolis.  

One couple accompanied us to Cabo for a week this past April. 

I am the outlier, living in Houston and my wife has no connection to Minnesota. All the rest live in the Twin Cities area. But next week, the four Minnesota Boys are making a trip to the Lake of the Woods where one member has a family property. An eight-hour drive from the Twin Cities, a rustic cabin, fishing, ATV’s, and any number of opportunities for fun for us 70-plus year-olds await us. 

I will keep you posted, plus I will get an entertaining story from this trip for a column – guaranteed!