#89 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday July 15)
Greetings,
I went to high school with a disproportionate number of talented and/or funny people. I was neither but I appreciate talent when I see it!
One such character is Scott Hostetler. Back in high school, he manned the PA system for morning announcements (“The Voice of Loara”), starred in any number of productions and made periodic classroom outbursts and official and unofficial entertainment opportunities into an art form. Today he hosts a regular You Tube production of “Scottails,” in which he and guests demonstrate mixology, backed up by history and interspersed with numerous groan-worthy “Dad jokes.”
A while ago I wrote that I had a long-held view that one’s best friends are made earlier in life, added to by a smattering of parents of kids’ friends, and a few people from work. I have been pleasantly surprised with the large number of friends and acquaintances made since our kids were shunted off to college—both in person and even during the pandemic.
Scott, however, described two additional friendships. The first is the long-time friends one doesn’t see enough of. He cited some of our high school friends, whom we see every five years at our reunions (yes, it’s true that we have been going to reunions ever five years since graduation…). It seems when we meet that nothing changes and people pick up exactly where they left off, true to form and consistent with our memories of them from years ago. I recall my father and Uncle George fell into a similar pattern, regressing to their high school ribbing and an oddly endearing habit of bouncing their somewhat copious bellies off of each other…
A second group Scott describes is folks with whom we were not particularly close growing up but have rediscovered them over time. I can understand that, as it seems whatever differences that might have existed in high school have been blurred or glossed over through the years. Scott notes:
“When you were very young you made friends based on little more than being the same size; but now it’s more complex. Similar situations, similar values, similar present-day circumstances? No, these people are married and divorced, working and retired, liberal and conservative, financial comfortable and less so.” His point is, of course, that these differences are all artificial constructs that don’t address at all common interests, world-view or good nature.
He concludes, “We are all bonded by similar age and Anaheim background; but I think I covet their company because they are all positive and are fun to be with. Simple as that.”
And so, one of the funniest guys from my high school days presents the most profound of messages. We are all, at our core, looking for positive relationships with people who are fun.
Have a great day,
Glenn
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