We all have things that we wish we could have done better.  Thoughts of, if I only  knew then what I know now.  If I knew what I was going to enjoy at 40, I would have prepared for it better at 20.  There is one thing that I do not regret, and that one thing is growing up Atmore.  I haven't met a situation yet that I hadn't had a little tougher in Atmore already.  I watched on as most of you took the college prep classes under Mr. Long and Ms Long. I did not envy you, that had to be tough.  Sin and Cos on your texas instrument calculators. Destiny, fate, luck, a challenge, took me in other directions.   I have seen the  best and worst of man kind as a guard at Holman Prison.  I have met people just like them on the outside also.  Once you have seen the devil, he is not hard to recognize any more. I have seen oceans, seas, lakes, mountains, caves, forgotten places not often visited by man, the sunrise over Daulphin Island, over Miami Beach, over the mountains of Tennessee and West Va., the sun set in the Florida Keys, men live, men die, a life in ruins, a life that found salvation,  I have been through hard times and good times.  I am looking forward to Great times.   One of these Great times will be our 30 year reunion.  I intend to enjoy this short weekend with all of you that care to enjoy it with me. This is the last time that most of us will see each other alive.  The ones of you that were able to find refuge in our hometown of Atmore can not have the same appreciation for this event as the ones of us who are scattered abroad.  I hope you all will join in the celebration of making it this far in life.

Buster

Buster that is beautiful. It made me think of Forest Gump.  I love that movie and I love you for posting such a heartfelt and sincere thing for us to share.  I agree that those that have remained in Atmore may not appreciate what a wonderful thing they have. I miss our hometown and look so forward to being with my classmates once more.  I hope everyone will make it a priority. It saddens me that there will be some that live so close who will not take the time or care to come.  I look back on our class and the times we shared with such love and fondness and each face and person in our senior class is important to me. I hope to see as many as possible for our class reunion. Life is too short to let a time like this pass by. I cherish the things I learned while I lived in Atmore. It was a wonderful place to grow up, get my first job, meet my husband, go to church, hear the local news, bump into friends while shopping, have a couple of my children while living there and to return to from time to time to see my family who still lives there and love it as much as I do and to visit the grave of my father in law and the place where Gary and I will probably be laid to rest when it comes time for us to go to be with our Lord.  Good memories, good people and I look forward to good fun and fellowship in a couple of months.  See you there.

Leslie

If these two posts don't convince everyone that is thinking of staying away from the reunion to come, then I don't know what will.

Buster, you should have become a writer.  You have expressed my sentiments perfectly.  Although I am only 3 hours away from Atmore, it is hard to get back and I miss it.  I especially miss the people who were my friends.  I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.  For anyone who reads this and who is thinking about not coming, please come.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.