Friends

I love coming to Florida and visiting with my family and old friends. The other day, I had the opportunity to visit with someone I had not seen in about 27 years (give or take). Really? That sounds so long ago, but when I think back, it does not seem like that long ago.

My friend and I use to hang out at the beach a lot. When I think back on my growing up years, I will have to admit...I was very fortunate. Fortunate to live in a time when things were easier. Fortunate to live during a time of great excitement, and a place where wonderful things were happening. Growing up in Central Florida in the 60's and 70's, I really did not give it much thought, but thinking back, it was a great time and a great place.

We moved to Florida in 1967. The space program brought our family to the Sunshine State from Huntsville, Alabama. My dad was a NASA Engineer and worked on the Apollo program. I can remember many launches. We would watch it on TV and when countdown was at about 10, 9, 8,....it was time to go out in our yard and look up in the air. Pretty soon, we could see a bright light moving through the skies. Then poof! Stage one, POOF, stage two. Then the rumbling sound shook the earth. 

In 1969 when Apollo 11 headed for the moon to land the first man that would walk on its surface, I was there. Yes, I saw the actually lift off. It was a very warm, bright, sunny July day; and boy did I ever get sunburned! 

Going to the beach as a teen was a very fun thing. To this day, it is one of my favorite places to be. I love everything about it...the sun, the warmth, the sound of the waves and the birds, even the sand between my toes. Since I left for college, I have not been back for any length of time, and it saddens me. My husband and I have tried to move back, but I guess we will just have to wait until we retire, then head down like everyone else; but I will be coming back home.

Having lunch with my friend brought back a lot of fun memories. Twenty-seven years seems like a long time when you say the number, but to my friend and I, it really was not that long. You see, we just picked right back up where we had left off so many years ago. Here is hoping it won't be another 27 years before we meet up again...