A Walk Down Memory Lane

Last night after supper I took my nightly walk around the block four times. After nearly one lap --- about a half-mile --- a car pulled up next to me. I recognized the driver immediately.

"I didn't know you were in my class," said Diane Kiraly, my neighbor. "We actually went to high school together."

Diane and her family have lived in our neighborhood since we were children. I know Diane and her three daughters very well, and we've become good friends recently.

"I saw your name and photos on the reunion Web site," she said. "I was among the 'missing.'"

We both chuckled and shared memories of high school in the middle of the street while her daughters seemed to enjoy our hearty laughter and fond remininscing. Naturally, she's looking forward to the reunion.

Diane was assigned to Fitts House, while I was a student in Wolcott. That may, in part, explain why our paths never crossed much at all while we attended Andrew Warde High School. But, isn't it odd that after all these years of being acquaintances and neighbors we didn't even remember that we were members of the same graduating class?

After about 15 minutes, Diane and her family were on their way to supper. As I resumed my walk, I thought about all the neighbors who were classmates of mine at Warde. I passed the Beam's home, where Jeff and Greg grew up. Jeff was a '76 alum, and his brother, Greg, still lives at home and is a good friend.

Around the bend, Chris O'Day's Mom still lives in the same home where I spent a lot of time as a youth. Chris frequently visits, and we've chatted about the reunion a number of times. A few homes down the street, Joanne Amelung, a member of our reunion committee and good friend, is raising her daughter, a student at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. And, across the street, Kevin Shay's Mom and her family are still going strong.

I kept walking and noticed the "Congratulations, Graduate" balloons adorning several mailboxes throughout the neighborhood. I chatted with Janet, a '75 Warde alum, whose twin daughters graduated from Warde Wednesday evening. We spoke about how special the evening was for her and her daughters.

Our neighborhood is a close-knit community which is located next to Samp Mortar Lake. Due to redistricting a few years ago, some families had the option of sending their children to Ludlowe High School. Roughly half the graduates on our block are from Ludlowe. Now, though, the neighborhood is exclusively within the Warde district.

My son attends Roger Ludlowe Middle School, but he'll be moving on to Warde in two years. It will be special for both of us when he attends the same high school as his Dad.

As for now, I look foward to seeing Diane, Joanne, and possibly Jeff, Chris, and Kevin, on my strolls around the neighborhood block.

Odds and Ends ... The 30th anniversary of our high school graduation is tomorrow, Saturday, June 24 ... The reunion festivities are eight weeks from Saturday.

Paul