Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The "Reunion Notes: 'Bugsy' Returns" Story
It was an ordinary day. Reunion Day!! Tonight we celebrated the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1962. That was 50 years ago. Still find it hard to believe that I graduated that long ago and I'm really that old! I don't look that old .......... do I? Well, Jerry, Just Sue and I arrived at Overlook Park's Barn about 6:00 PM. My wife Carol, still fighting mono, opted to stay home and enjoy the evening by herself. Class members started to arrive and then, there he was. Hadn't seen him in five years, since the last reunion. Bugsy!! Leon to some people, but to me and quite a few class members he was Bugsy. Why? I don't know, he just was. And, he was picked on and bullied relentlessly. I can remember a time when we talked and he asked why he was the one that was picked on all the time. Seems there is always someone like that in every class. To me he was a close neighbor and a friend. We would walk to elementary school together and eventually the bus stop with our friend and his next store neighbor, Marilyn. But when we got to high school, the teasing started. I felt bad about it, but what could I do. 50 years ago there wasn't anyone you could confide in that could help correct the situation. But it still was hurtful, both to him and me. When I printed the booklets for the class reunion I read Leon's "interesting information" which he submitted. Wow, maybe it was only me that thought he was bullied and humiliated. He tells in his info that his years at MTHS were very special. Our graduating class was the first to move into the new high school. It was the best of times - hard for our children and grandchildren to duplicate today. Could be that he has put those hurtful memories out of his mind. What an upbeat guy he has turned out to be. In 2010 he retired as Regional Director of the Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection, located in Northern Kentucky. How impressive can that be! That's after he retired from a job with the US General Accounting Office in Washington DC. He was also a world traveler with more than a dozen countries listed in his info. Two kids and four grandkids. Seems like a normal guy now. Some of us who went to school with him and knew what he suffered through are so glad that he became such a success in later years. Good for you Bugsy! You certainly deserved it!! And, I'm so glad that you came to the reunion to show everyone how successful your life has been. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - photo taken by Just Sue shows Jerry, Leon, LDub (the young looking one)
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