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Familiar faces and forgotten film
A few months ago I was reminded of my age. I didn’t hurt myself doing something that came easier to me 10 years ago or forget something I typically would have remembered. I was reminded of the fact that high school was nearly a decade ago by seeing a familiar face in a strange place.
It happened in the media building on campus at the University of Alabama. I was deep in thought about some class I had just finished, or something to that effect, as I walked through the doors and headed into the lobby. It was there that I recognized a face that I was sure couldn’t belong at the Crimson White building. But, sure enough, it was Trey Smith, standing by a counter and chatting casually with someone I didn’t know. Now, I wasn’t surprised to see Trey on a college campus. My mother had been giving me regular reports about his accomplishments in Atmore and his work with the local papers where I had once written articles. I was surprised to see him there simply because I couldn’t wrap my mind around the idea of his being old enough to be in college. I felt as if he should still be the sweet little boy I taught in swimming lessons and who always gave me a present at the end of the session. I couldn’t fathom that he was now a grown-up attending college. It just didn’t seem right. Little did I know, over the next few months, that sensation would become a part of my everyday life.
Since moving back to Atmore I have been pleasantly surprised, on a nearly constant basis, by people I have know for most of my life, but have not seen in a very long time. Sometimes, these people remember me and I’m the one who, presumably, shouldn’t be old enough to have kids or a wife. I’ve heard that sentiment expressed for years during visits home. I now know exactly what those people mean.
Several times over the last few weeks I’ve heard a voice elsewhere in the office or received a telephone call and immediately recognized the person. I’ve been repeatedly amazed to find that many of those familiar voices belong to “kids” I taught at the Atmore City Pool, or younger brothers and sisters of someone I went to high school with. Last week when Mrs. Patty Castleberry walked into the office I couldn’t believe that the young woman with her, who is about to be married, was her daughter, the same little Kaylie Castleberry who had been a few age groups behind me on the YMCA swim team. Mrs. Castleberry assured me that, indeed, that was the case. I said I couldn’t believe it, and she offered to jog my memory with pictures that showed me in all of my teenage, bleach blonde haired glory, swimming, oblivious to how ridiculous I looked. It just goes to show you’ve never left things as far behind as you think.
It’s hard to believe some of the people I once knew well as a kid are now leaders in the community. I was really happy to see that Ross Terry, who once bruised me pretty badly with his cannon-ball tennis serve, is now manager at the YMCA. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is I’m very excited to see how well so many people I remember in Atmore have done. It’s great to see home town people who have grown up and decided to stay and make a difference in Atmore.
It’s been a lot of fun so far, catching up with people and reminiscing about our memories Some of them are funny. Some are embarrassing. But they’re all treasured.
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