I recently learned just how valuable a brat friend is. During a trip to Ontario to see my family who COVID had kept me from for two years, I decided to include a side-trip to Fort Henry Heights, the Kingston PMQ area where I spent four years while finishing grade school and starting high school. I was eager to reconnect with that part of my childhood. As you know if you have been reading my blog posts, I have many fond memories of my time in Kingston.
When I posted that I was going to make this pilgrimage, I received notices from other brats that they wanted more information and wanted to know if I could arrange for us to meet. I am pleased to advise that I was able to plan for this, was quite excited by the enthusiasm I was shown.
My original plan was for three of my brothers to accompany me. As things go, plans change. I learned that my youngest brother Tony, who lives in Alberta, wasn't able to get the time off work due to staffing shortages cause by . . . you guessed it, COVID. Still making the best of things, my next younger brother, Dale, who lives in Kitchener, and I headed out. We were to pick up my older brother Rob, who lives near Trenton Ontario. He called us to advise he was not feeling very well and would no longer be able to accompany us. We did stop in for a quick visit as there was no way I was about to pass that close to my brother and not see him.
Dale and I arrived in Kingston and began wandering around the haunts of our youth, sharing memories and reconnecting with out past. We noted so many changes, so many things that are now smaller than they were, some things changed so they were hardly recognizable, and many things completely gone. About an hour before the scheduled meeting with the other brats, Dale advised that his knees were done for the day and he needed to head back to our hotel and lay down. I could certainly understand his issue, my knees are not all that good either.
So it ended up me, alone, meeting with the other brats. I was astonished that one travelled all the way from Toronto, about a three hour drive, just for the meeting! Another attended, even though she only knows me through Facebook as her time there pre-dated mine. In all, three others attended (see the photo of us) and the planned one hour meeting turned into almost three. It was hard to leave. I was good to reconnect with old friends and learn about how their lives turned out.
Now I have more memories of Kingston, fresher ones, ones that will help sustain me through the years ahead. This experience makes me realize that the best friends are the brat friends.
I would love to hear about friends from your youth that you are still in contact with.
More of my brat friends
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