Just remembering . . .
We were an eclectic bunch, “we” being comprised of a couple dozen friends/acquaintances who, in greater or lesser combinations, met frequently for fun and relaxation. Back yards were a favorite venue, unless weather forced us indoors.
There was no formal structure, we weren’t compelled to hang out together, our contact tended to be spontaneous rather than scheduled. The job spectrum was wide, there was always someone who could provide information or guidance or hands-on help. There were even a couple of “walking library” types who had impressive mental indexes of facts, pre-dating Google by three decades; and they were able to tap those resources in sometimes brilliant exhibitions of humor.
And, as usually happens with groups of people, there was one who could be relied on to occasionally, if infrequently, combust. The provocations were inconsistent, and the outbursts usually resulted in the party breaking up early. After a time we came to the realization, albeit reluctantly, that it was silly for the rest of us to leave the party. This was driven home one memorable night when our volatile friend threw the card table across the room after losing a game. Instead of breaking up the party, two of the fellows walked him outside and suggested that he go home and calm down. He left, and we resumed our evening.
A couple weeks later he ran into one of the guys and wanted to know why there hadn’t been any get-togethers. He was not happy to learn that our gatherings had continued without him. There was some joking along the lines of “Dude, we don’t have a fund for broken furniture!”, but he didn’t seem to get the message. Instead, he let it be known that he found us to be unworthy of his time. More’s the pity, as we’d hoped he would deal with his demons and come back to us. He was one of the brightest and wittiest, and his departure left a large hole. To be sure, we missed him; but we most certainly did not miss the constant undercurrent of imminent tantrum.
That was forty years ago. Some of us still get together now and then. But he has never forgiven us.
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