Meeting people you haven't seen in years-

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Last weekend, it was my PE teacher from high school.

Our family went to Williamsburg, Va., staying in a hotel room, and that morning while eating in the restaurant, my phys ed teacher appears right across from us.

Never mind we are approaching 50 years ago.

..well I "think" it was him.... Dude looks like John Cleese.

This is where the mind kicks in. The PE teacher "did" look like John Cleese. Back in the day. In real life, an age regression is needed. He is older, shorter, fatter, with etc... etc.. etc... But I digress.

For me, I HATED phys. ed. I HATED sports. However, we did have a neat caveate- for two weeks, teachers would quit teaching their professions, and instead teach what they "really" liked.

For my PE teacher, he taught "survival". As a "test" for his class, he drove us up to a cabin in the mountains of Nelson county (which he built himself- log by log) and we then hiked several trails in the area.

This was a guy who encouraged his pupils to drink out of a mountain stream straight up and enjoy it.

..but not just any mountain stream. His cabin was a few yards down from a cowpasture. Don't drink from it.

Gutsy stuff on 2023ish 2024 ish....

I was about 70% sure it was him. Even after 40 or so years. Since I was a total dud in the athletic department, it took some courage to even walk up to him. Imagine the principal in "Back to the future" that calls McFly a "slacker"- yep- that's him.

I walked right up, told him he wouldn't remember who I was, asked if it was even him, and his face lit up. He (obviously) didn't really remember me (he is in his late 80's)- but - I called him on his international 4x4, and his cabin, which inspired me to move to Nelson. I told him I rode my bike past his cabin on a weekly basis, and it was in great shape.

I had watched his entire breakfast to this point (he was not enthused about his breakfast at all... stuff was presented wrong, etc... Eggsto starchy... but this is ppot territory- I can HANG!!!), and when I mentioned his cabin, he really got excited!

He invited me up, and will try to get up there asap.

Weird how you can run into people like that.
Over the day, we re-met up a lunch, and re- met up at dinner. I tried to keep a low profile, completely random, but that was weird.

If anything, it was cathartic. He didn't remember my lackluster athletics. I did get to tell him what an impact he had on my life he had.(I moved to the mountains he loved).

It meant a lot to me.

[Dixie]

What an amazing story. Thank you for sharing.

[Rick Lee]

Did it last Saturday. A buddy from Montana lived in the room next to mine in a dorm our junior year in college in Germany. We hung out off and on when we both lived in DC a few years later. Last time I saw him, we took a taxi together to the starting line for the Army 10 Miler, got separated in the crowd and that was the last time I saw him, which was around 1999. He found me on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, said he'd be in Phoenix for his daughter's soccer game and wanted to meet up, and we did. He brought a few Bitburgers and we tailgated for an hour and caught up. Very satisfying.

[wdfifteen]

How cool!

I bought a book that was recommended on a podcast. I didn't know the author at the time I bought it. It turned out to be written by my roommate in college. I contacted him through the publisher and we've been corresponding for a couple of years. He lives in Paris now, but comes home now and then. We plan to meet when he is next in the States.

[Crowbob]

I went to my 50th HS reunion in September.

Maybe 100 people showed up including 3 teachers. Weirdest thing. I hadn’t seen nor spoken to these people in 1/2 a century. We all had name tags. One guy, a good friend all through middle school and of course HS, was standing there with a beer. Last time I saw him it was illegal to have a beer.

Anyways, we embraced and caught up on each other’s lives and carried on a conversation as if we’d been next door neighbors for five decades.

And that was the norm! I mean it was unnatural to be talking to best friends who were also total strangers. The stories!

It was truly remarkable.

[A930Rocket]

I ran into a former coworker the other day. I’m really bad with names and faces, even though I worked with him for several years. he asked if I remembered him and I said you look familiar… you look like John Doe. He said I am John Doe. Doh! We talked for about 10 minutes on past and current work and I said let’s get together sometime.

Probably in another 15 years.

[stevej37]

If it's a guy from 50 years back...he most likely didn't have a beard then, and does now. Makes it tough to recognize.

I find hearing a voice is usually the first way I recognize someone from that far back.
Your voice never changes much.

[Flatbutt1]

When I was working on my music degree in '21 I saw my former chemistry mentor on campus. I walked up and said "Hi Dr Rxxx, you 've no reason to remember me I'm so and so from the class of '78". He brightened up and we chatted a bit. When I brought up some of my memories one caught his attention and he said "hard hat kid! You're the one who wore a hard hat!".

I was working third shift in a factory at the time and going to class right after my shift. I had no time to shower or change so I just went straight to class in my Dickies and hard hat. I couldn't believe he remembered that.

[Evans, Marv]

Your story reminds me. I got an email last week from an elementary school friend I've known for 70+ years. His dad was the coach at our school and my eighth grade teacher. We had a full athletic program there - football, basket ball, track, and baseball treams. You could go out for sports starting with the sixth grade. His dad had passed away at 98. He was a huge influence on me as well as lots of other kids. I admired him greatly as a person who treated everyone with consideration and dignity. When I left in the middle of the eighth grade, he sat me down and gave me advice on navigating a new school. Among the examples: Don't make friends quickly. Hold back and choose friends. Those who want to be your friend immediately probably don't have many friends and may not be the best." He made positive differences in lots of kids' lives.

[masraum]

It's super unlikely for me to run into anyone that I've known. Dad was in the Navy, and we moved every 2.5-3 years. I have a great memory for faces, but the odds of me running into someone are super slim since I'm no where near any place that I ever lived years ago. I have never been super social anyway.

[GH85Carrera]

Back when shopping malls were popular I was there to go to the Sears Tool department and I heard a guy call my name. I turned around and it was a guy that went to 7th grade with. And as the son of an Air Force pilot, I was in that school just one year. He had remarkable facial recognition as I had (and still do) and full beard. We chatted for a while and he took me up to his office which was in a tower across the street. The tower used to be called Penn Square bank. It has changed names several times since the collapse of Penn Square bank.

[Tobra]

You guys are old

[LWJ]

Had lunch last week with a buddy I have known since 4th grade. We are both in town. I hadn't seen him for over 5 years. It was pretty great. Not 50 years great. But enjoyable.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Great stories,

A few weeks ago I was near Maranello and met up for pizza and beer one evening with a few Ferrari and Hass F1 friends

First time I'd been back in town or seen any of them in over 8yrs

Felt like only a week had passed since we last enjoyed an evening together, just we had a bit more catching up to do

[Mike Andrew]

And, there are people that we don't see for years, and when we do, it is like we last saw them yesterday.

Some call them friends.

[jhynesrockmtn]

I fear going out some times I'll run into women I dated 10+ years ago before I met my wife. It's a small town. I'm no prince, but apparently if you have teeth and a roof over your head at 50 you are engaged to some after a few dates.....

School related. Our old shop teacher was arrested in child porn charges a few years back. Glad I didn't run into him after junior high!

[Zeke]

Doesn't happen to me. Everyone left the sewer.

[billybek]

It is fantastic when you run into people from your long ago... For the most part.

A friend from high school had contacted me through faceplant last year. It was another good lesson for me not to put off meeting up with people as he had passed from his cancer in April. It would have been his 59th today.

Rock on Mr. Parke!