Glimpse into the past

Joking loudly. Teasing. Telling stories of loud parties and dancing. The story of my... dad?

This past Wednesday, I joined my parents at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant at Vallco for a reunion dinner of sorts. My dad's two best friends from high school were in town (one from Taiwan, one from Modesto) and they brought their families along. In between chowing down on fish, scallops, crab, chicken, and other tasty dishes, and getting to know some of the other kids (ranging from a few to a decade younger than me), I spent a fair amount of time just observing the way my dad interacted with his childhood buddies.

I tried to picture them 30+ years younger, hanging out at lunchtime in high school. Talking about sports, about class, about girls... sharing frustrations, laughing wildly at the latest antics... even today, I rarely see my dad as lighthearted as he was while the three of them bantered back and forth. It was kinda neat. If I'm not mistaken, both these guys served as groomsmen at my parents' wedding.

I wonder what it'll be like getting together with good friends 20-30 years down the road - reminiscing about old times, perhaps still discussing sports. Maybe there'll be a few fidgeting kids at the table anxious to get up and go play the latest virtual reality video game. I sure hope I'll be able to build and maintain those kinds of friendships that will last a lifetime.