Fall always has me lost in memories of decades gone by… a bright, sunny day often reminds me of those endless days of my youth.  Perhaps because my office is directly across from the local high school, where I can see and hear the kids arriving and departing from school, that’s where my memories seem to go this time of year.

I remember starting school in late August, often riding the bus, often riding to school with friends who had their driver’s license, and ultimately driving myself to school the final two years before graduation.

And I often wonder where those friends are these days.  Do they ever remember me?  Or am I the only one?  Am I lost to the pages of time?

Of course, with social media available, many of them are easy to find.  But what about the ones that aren’t so easy to find?  What about the ones that don’t want to be found?  Or worse, the ones that wouldn’t appreciate you finding them?

Is it better to let those people continue to live on in my memories only?

As I grow older, I often wonder if enough time has passed that my old best friend from high school has “forgiven” those imagined slights that ruined a friendship many, many years ago… Or does the first boy that ever asked me to “go steady” even remember that day in the park?   Are there any good memories that they have?  Any days that they wish they could just reach out and so, “Hey, do you remember when…”

But that doesn’t happen.  And so, I continue to ponder, but never get any closer to reaching out to anyone.  Guess not knowing is far better than knowing.  At least, if you don’t know, you can keep the good memories.