Unexpected Image
60 years ago back in June, my oldest brother graduated from Penns Grove Regional High School, or ReHi as it was known. I remember being at either his or my sister’s graduation. We the whole damn family were seated on wooden chairs in a big auditorium in what to me seemed like a massive brick building. I remember the auditorium was hot and I was squirming in somebody’s arms, either my those of my mother or my sister’s. I vaguely remember the big stage in the room. In that I was either three or four (if it was my sister’s) these images qualify as one of my earliest memories.
At this point in time I only vaguely remember John III, as he referred to himself then, being a member in our family home. I think I remember him being there when we were watching TV a couple of times. There were always family fights over what to watch. I remember talking to him once about a box of cereal or pasta that involved either cowboy and Indian cut outs on the box or plastic western figures stuffed inside as a prize.By the time I was four he was away at university.
So today when the librarian of my old high school was having a birthday I started looking at some old year book posts that somebody was uploading from 1959. The first page that I saw knocked me back. There was my eldest brother with his flattop hair cut. I had seen this picture once at some point in time but I don’t remember reading the stuff below his picture. Then I looked at the whole page and I saw that he had signed it.
To you it may sound silly but to find something signed by my brother floating around on the internet just really surprised me. It reminded me how much I miss him, and my parents, and my other brother. Life goes on but to see him so young and with so much living ahead of him it made me smile and it made me a little sad. We don’t realize the gifts we have until we are looking long into the rear view mirror. Miss you bro.
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