Lunch with the Petrolia Bunch!

 Lunch with the Petrolia Bunch!

 

The class of ’66 did not include ALL of us because some of us went elsewhere those last couple of years, but we have all stayed friends over the years. Today, Lowry Mayo and his wife Diane, Roger Thonton and his wife Susan, James Jones and his wife Debra plus their daughter Amanda’s little girl, Barbara Mathews, Donna Reeves, BillieJean, Pat Morgan, Charlotte Reimers, and this old woman all met at Pioneer to raise the ceiling just a wee bit. Don’t think the waitress minded in the least. We usually try to make it worth their time and effort. Anyway, we talked about old times, politics of the local variety, and trips to every place from Israel to Hawaii. Yep, we have scattered our children in a few places over the years. But we all still appreciate growing up together in that small town where everyone knew everyone else.

 

Thought about the fact that James and Debra’s daughter Amanda was born today back in 1979. We had our son that same night, but after midnight. Dr. Schaffner did not make it in time to “catch” the kid, but Lewis and the nurse got Hanan here ok anyway. Not much to it since it seemed to me that the old woman did all the work.

 

Got tickled at Pat and Lowry talking about some old man helping them do something. When asked how old the man was, they said 76 or 77. “Old man” has different meanings to some of us! Most of the class was either 76 or 77 today at our meeting. Old is a matter of perspective, isn’t it.

 

Donna Reeves was still disgusted that our school taxes here in Texas are going to allow some parents to send their children to private schools. Since this old person has been both in one of those schools and had a child in one, it makes sense to me. Public schools have scary patterns to uphold. While the old woman never needed the sisters to correct me, my youngest son ran laps more often than not for his behavior. And it helped. At least he was not picked out and picked on by anyone. Public schools are too big and too restricted in many areas. A child who learns differently from others has no real incentive to be like the public schools desire. Being allowed to learn at his own pace made a difference that would not have been allowed in public school.

 

My own contribution to one of the discussions was about the “Bluebonnet” religious education materials that have been approved by the Texas schools—public schools. Honestly do not want to see this happen. We have to accept that religion is to be taught by parents and by churches. Separation of religion and public education matters. What happens to the Muslim family or the Hindu family who do not accept the Christian theology? What about the Christian family who would not accept Jewish teachings or those of a Catholic if the family is Protestant? Nope, religion is a separate issue from education. To teach that religions have made certain rules of social standards in America is one thing, but to try to teach specific doctrines is not going to get it.

 

One thing on FB this morning stopped my browsing. Why do products that are often stolen have to be the things locked up instead of the people who tend to steal those products? It seems to me that some of these criminals get a slap on the wrist and are turned loose to do whatever again. Whether it is shoplifting or car theft, it is still stealing. Yes, burglary and assault are much more serious, but it seems that the bail is quickly met and the bad dudes are out to do it again the next night!! One other topic today was about guns: seems like our police officers are less well equipped than the drug runners! Maybe some of those drug stops should manage to sell the vehicles or other properties of the drug people so that our police officers could be better paid! Well, that might get sticky, too, if the confiscation of property were done before the offender was proven guilty. That has happened in Oklahoma at least a few times when the sheriff’s department wanted what the folks had before they even bothered to prove that the people were dealing in drugs! Maybe it would just be wonderful to find law enforcement people who were honest to a fault! Guess that may never happen either. Sigh.

 

Still re-reading in my favorite book of John today. Could see that God’s hand kept Jesus safe from anyone’s grasp. He looked just like anyone else around him, so he could step into a crowd and never even be noticed, but still, he could also walk among the Jews who hated him and they just stood there. Yep, kinda think time and time again that Jesus walked away even before they could think to stop him—because it was not allowed for them to put their hands on him yet. God has a time for all things. Our time is coming soon. God is still in charge.

 

Rest well, my friends. You are loved.