The past and present figured largely in my life today.
A week or so ago, I pulled out my high school senior-year yearbook - annuals - as we called them then. As time allowed, I'd sit with the book, slowly paging through the pictures, taking trips down memory lane. Mostly good, funny, poignant memories. I really enjoyed my high school experience.
One of my closest circles of friends was four guys who were like brothers to me. We were a tight-nit group, playing cards at each others' homes, hanging out in the summer, continuing our friendship into our college years. After our college graduations, we gradually lost touch with each other, although I've managed to "keep track" of the quartet in one way or another.
Today I looked one of them up on the internet. He has been rumored to have become a highly successful international businessman so I thought it would be interesting to see what truth there was to the rumors. The term "highly successful" is apt and appropriate. If anything, understated. I found reference after reference to him. Some links had pictures of him meeting with the presidents of countries. I was proud of the life he has forged for himself and proud to think that I really was a good friend of his in high school.
I also staged up a work area to begin my family anscestors' picture project. When my parents were both deceased, I "inherited" most of the family photographs from the last three or four generations. For well over two decades, the photos have moved around with me and my family, silently waiting for loving hands to pull them out, look at them and organize them. What I will do with the snapshots once I've cataloged them, I do not know. I do know this: Their nomadic life is about to come to an end. Scrapbooking, complete with names, places, dates, captions await!
How does "new" factor into this day?
We extended an invitation to dinner, for tomorrow evening, to a couple we've met on several occasions but never taken the time to become better acquainted with. Each time after we see them, we say to each other, "Wouldn't they be fun to get to know?!" The time to wait is over. The invitation has been issued and the acceptance received.
By taking care of the "old" we make room for the "new".
Ancora imparo!
