Invited to Dinner

 I wrote this story a couple of years ago. It was a dinner party with all the people I have grown up with. I wanted to capture that present moment because I knew right then while taking these pictures that things would change, just like it always does. We are all getting older and I knew someday one of us wouldn't be around anymore. Little did I know the first person would be my friend from my teenage years who happen to marry my sister. "Rest in Peace Rick."

See You Later
Bill 

                                                 INVITED TO DINNER 



I didn’t know what to expect as I was driving to my cousin’s house today. He had invited me to dinner because his older brother, who is the same age as I am, was coming into town for a visit. I haven’t seen him in a long time. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprise that he had also invited all of the guys and their wives that I had grown up with. It wasn’t going to be just a small dinner party nor was there going to be so many people there that you could start your own Mardi Gras with. There were no kids there either, thank god. I don’t know why that entered my mine because were all to old know for that kind of stuff. I guess it’s because he has a Christmas party at his house every year and I associated his house why a ton of kids and all the noise that goes with it.

It was great to sit around and talk with all the guys that I grew up with. As I sat down at the island in the kitchen, my first question to my cousin was “ Well, what are you doing now?” “ Oh, I’m retired,” he replied. I was so surprised, I still thought that he was working. Then I asked another friend the same question. “I retired 3 months ago,” he said. That’s when everybody started talking about work and how they don’t do that anymore. Holy cow, I couldn’t believe it. I said, “Does anybody here work anymore?” Only one of my friends answered yes. I guess that’s when it dawned on me how old we are all getting. Looking around the room, I can still picture us having this same party way back when, still laughing and having a good time. Of course we all don’t look quite the same as we used too. Back then all the guys were studs and all the girls were foxes, ah hell, we still are! It’s just that we’re bigger studs and foxes now with a couple of well placed wrinkles.

I remember sitting around playing board games with these guys and then everybody seemed to get married all around the same time. Once everybody was married they didn’t waste anytime having kids and lots of them. Oh, the stages of life we’ve been through so far. Our kids start getting married and unfortunately our own parents start passing away leaving us to take their place. Now we are the Elders. I can see the cycle of life as I snap another picture of everybody around the dinner party tonight. I know what lies ahead but I’d rather not think about that just now, I want to enjoy my friends tonight.

My daughter’s favorite saying;
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift! That's why they call it the present! Enjoy everyday cause you'll never get it back”