We recently took a short trip to Phoenix, Arizona. You know, one hell to another in terms of desert. Did we go there just to increase our need for high SPF? Au contraire, we were there for a reunion.
Not a family reunion, but a friend reunion. It is interesting how some friendships form. I was not the type of person growing up to be buds with one of the football players. It was not that I did not like any of them, but jocks weren't naturally turned in my direction. And as I was a particularly scrawny nerdy lad, I was not likely to be one of them anytime soon.
There was one exception in that group of overpopping testosterone: Tris Vaughan. Not only did he not have an overinflated opinion of himself, but he also had an eye for good movie lines. Oh he was a big tough football player all right, just better balanced. We met in 10th grade P.E.and and in 11th and 12th grades shared journalism and mass media classes as well. Mass media was where the film appreciation really showed for both of us. We hung out a couple of times after graduation, including an unexpected night of alcohol at his house with a bunch of others. That was the first time I'd gotten wasted, to my recollection.
When I moved to California, there was a rough first year where I had to wait out a year so I could establish residency for cheaper college rates. Tris was the recipient of a few calls bemoaning my suck-ass jobs awaiting that magic month. In December of 1993, I went back to Pennsylvania for a week and Tris was good enough to let me stay at his house. That was one of the most fun weeks I can remember. We hung out with a lot of high school friends on several occasions. I even got to stay an extra day due to a classic northeastern snowstorm shutting down everything. I got to know his brother and mom a lot better on that visit as well! It had been a rough year for the Vaughans, as Tris's father had passed away, so it was a good thing Mr. Moore was there to lift spirits with his wacky nerdy self.
Several years later, I managed to get to PA again in mid 2000 for a long weekend. On that visit, I had the pleasure of not only visiting with Tris but also meeting his fiancee Ann-Marie. That was actually the highlight of the trip, as my spirits had sunken due to all the changes in my beloved Berks County.
Over the course of many years, Tris and I kept in touch regularly thanks to the magic of online communication. I kept up with Ann-Marie as well and have watched through pictures the growth of their 2 boys. Then in 2017, the Vaughan family moved to Phoenix...well, Gilbert to be exact. This was exciting! All we had to do was figure out a time to get together. It took 10 months, but we finally got down there this past week!
There are old friends who just sit and remember the "good old days". That is all fine and good, but after a while there is nothing left to talk about. I've experienced this before. Luckily, this was not the case. Yeah, we talk about old classmates from Wilson and their recent histories, but we also have movies, jokes, and our families in common.
What made this visit particularly special was that I was reawakened to the spirit of Pennsylvania in terms of toughness. Like I said, I grew up a nerdy, scrawny kid, but over time I developed a basic toughness. I didn't cry and run to an adult every time some little thing happened, most of the time I sucked it up. It was the BIG SHIT that made me cry. Living out west for 26 years, I have noticed a lack of that basic toughness, sometimes to the point of people being overly pompous with that empty hard core. Sometimes a reminder of where you come from is a healthy thing!
It was a pretty great if short visit. We hung in the pool, barbecued, and just talked a lot. I remembered that Tris is the epitome of the word "tangent"...you start a story, and he will interrupt with an anecdote here and there, so that the original tale will take four, maybe five times as long to tell. It was also great to watch how strong an 18-year old marriage is and how much loving shit they give each other. I cannot help but think that if my folks had been like that, their marriage may have survived. An added bonus was watching their son and Natalie play together. They got on so well that we let her stay overnight.
On our day headed out of town, we all met up at Village Inn for breakfast. I swear, we could have just kept talking for a longer time, but I had a road adventure to begin. It is great to know I have a link to my past so close in distance and spirit and I cannot wait until we visit again!
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