The "A Visit With Long-Time Friends" Story
It was another ordinary day. Our friends Hal and Jeannie had just picked my
wife, Carol and myself up for a trip to State College, PA to visit friends whom
we have known for a long time. Not long before we pulled into the driveway of my longtime
friend whom I had known since 1st grade. Guy by the name of Jerry Herr! Jerry
and I lived about a block away from each other throughout our childhood, but
never got to meet until we went to 1st grade at Brecht Elementary School in the
Manheim Township School District. Even during elementary school we very seldom
visited other each other since my mom didn't want me to cross Queen Street and
Prince Street since they were two of the busiest streets in the north end of the
city of Lancaster. I walked to school by crossing the Lititz Pike bridge while
Jerry crossed the Manheim Pike bridge. When we entered Manheim Township Jr. High
School we both rode on the same school bus, so we got to know each other a bit
more, but didn't really get to know each other until high school when we
both had cars. Jerry was a whiz with engines and helped me quite a few times
work on my 1953 Henry J. But, we tended to be in different social circles with
Jerry having a girl friend who lived off the Lititz Pike while my girlfriend
lived on Liberty Street. We never became real good friends until be both
graduated from Millersville State Teacher's College and both landed jobs at our
alma mater....Manheim Township High School. Jerry began teaching Metal Shop
about a year or two after I began teaching Wood Shop/Graphic Arts. Jerry's late
arrival at MTHS was due to a few years in military service; while I wasn't picked for
the service for some unknown reason to me. It was at this point in time that we
became friends with Hal whom also taught Industrial Arts at the high school.
Jerry married his high school sweetheart Sue while I married the daughter of the
woman who worked with my dad at Meiskey's Wholesale Jewelry. After teaching
together for many years, Jerry took over the reigns of the Manheim Township
School District Maintenance Dept. He was responsible for all of the maintenance
on the dozen or so buildings in the district. Hal and I continued teaching until
we knew it was time to give it up. All three of us retired from the Manheim
Township School District the same year, being that we were close to the same age
bracket. As soon as we retired from working for the school district, Jerry and I
began to travel together with our wives to islands in the Caribbean. What a
wonderful experience. We loved the warm sun, the refreshing waters and the
Caribbean atmosphere. After every two to three week vacation I would put a
scrapbook together of our adventures. Well, after my wife and I made a recent
move to Woodcrest Villa, I now find I have almost an entire closet full of
memories from vacations with Jerry and Sue. We are still trying to decide if we
should take one more trip before we call it quits. And...we don't have an
extended lifetime left to make that decision. Hal and Jeannie never traveled
with us, but perhaps they might give it a try. Well....I will have to
talk it over with my wife first and then decide if all six of us want to take
one last vacation together to a Caribbean island. Life is short, so we can't
wait another dozen years before we travel once again. It will have to be in the
very near future if it is going to happen. Perhaps we might be happy just
traveling to the Jersey Shore for a week-long vacation...or maybe a two-week
vacation...or maybe even a month since it might be our last vacation together. I
better give both of the guys a call and see what they think of our plans before
it's too late. It certainly would be good to vacation with all of our friends. It
was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. |
Jeannie and Hal |
|
Sue and Jerry
|
Carol and Larry
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