HOSPITALITY

There is such a thing! Having been in Lady Lakes, Florida, and a.k.a. The Villages, at another recent high school reunion, I had the real pleasure of spending a few days with some old classmates, who are indeed older!

Three classmates in particular, Vinnie Costanzo, Mary Ann and Howie LaBarca, took great pains to entertain and accommodate us with ideas, directions, their homes when needed. The drove great distances to the airport to pick up and then return some of us, and did it eagerly.



Living in the golf cart community of The Villages, we visited with old friends from many years ago, renewed acquaintances and it seems that the old high school spirit is still there. We talked about: grandchildren, doctors, medications, Bellport and ourselves, we never missed a beat. It was 46 years ago was yesterday.

We went to lunches, breakfasts, and dinners and even at one point to an ice cream parlor, where we all gathered outside on some table and chairs to talk and enjoy the ice cream, enjoying the moment.



To laugh is to live, and we lived very well among each other. Oh, there was some opinion about this one and that one, I’m sure an unfounded, unproven rumor was passed at one point or another, but so what, the time was still well spent.

We teased each other, kidded, joked with and even sang together, it was love. Pure and simple love, you can’t beat that.



As we said our goodbyes that last night, someone hugged me and reminded me that I had gotten the ball rolling last year, and that I was responsible for the reunion this year, and I am proud of that.

We are not finished this year. The school spirit, and particularly the class spirit will pick up once again in August, when we take off for a cruise from New York City to St. Johns and Halifax.