Remembering, Reunions, Friendships

On remembering things that ain’t so:

Within the scope of my life’s activities, there are so many occasions of gatherings and talking to people such as former students, football players from my coaching days and others. The past week afforded opportunities to see many acquaintances from the past and listen to some of their renditions of conversations and events from far back into the past.

Never are these events experienced without, as I listened, called to mind are a couple of statements attributed to the great humorist Mark Twain. People like to relate their experiences of things seen and heard in their days past. A few years ago, I realized there was no use correcting some of the versions set forth. So, I now quote from Mark Twain: He said, “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know (remember) for sure that just ain’t so.” One version of this quote is “It isn’t that people know too little, it’s what they know for sure that ain’t so.”

Time and time again I get to hear people tell things as absolute truth and their version is so far off base that it could actually be labeled as a lie. Sometimes these related stories are told as words spoken or events seen. It is frequently I hear people tell of seeing an event of the past and hearing an explanation of it that might touch on the subject but is far from accurate. Those stories aren’t usually as serious as the one from the past I have heard people tell over the years that affirm their presence at the scene. Incidentally, I was there and did witness the event people think they remember. There is an entertaining factor involved because no two versions are the same as to the happening, the site, or words spoken. The answer to those memories that simply “ain’t so” is that if everyone I have heard tell about the incident was each other. Now for a question of significance: Can anyone tell anything about the school “Red Bud on the Hill?”

When Dale Dempsey died a couple of weeks ago, I read the comment posted by Susie Gray as she told of Dale’s being a great presence and added so much life at the Belwood School reunion. Another Belwood reunion is on the horizon. I have never attended but my first six years of a wonderful and rewarding education pursuit was spent at Belwood. Those years and teachers will always be cherished in my heart.

I recall a couple of statements by celebrities concerning reunions. Dick Cavett said, “It takes a certain amount of guts to go to your class reunions.” On a more sincere note, it was one Paul Theroux saying, “What strikes me about high school reunions is the realization that these are people one has known one’s whole life.”

It was great seeing and enjoying the ones who came to the event. There wasn’t a large number there. But there is a significant question that keeps coming to my mind at most of the school reunions I attend. That question is based on a statement made by Kin Hubbard, so I ask “why do I get the feeling the only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them.”

Leaving the event reminded one of the statement by Tyron Edwards when he said, “Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.”

On Friendship: I meant to write a segment on Friendship but “space” has expired. I will depart with one thought I would have used. It was one of the great Founding Fathers of America who said, “I have never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” – Thomas Jefferson