A Fun Weekend Part 2

After a fun 36 hours in NYC, I took the train to Philly, a short one-and-one-quarter-hour ride if you get on the right train, which of course I didn’t.  But I got there.  I walked to the rental car place about a mile away and was shocked at how clean the Philly Streets were, especially compared to NYC.

 I had a great lunch with about thirty classmates from the Cheltenham High Class of 1966.  Some interesting stories, including one from a lawyer who went into and expanded his manufacturing business and then got a master’s in creative writing.  He sent me a story he wrote about a subtle killer.

Many lawyers in the class, and most were happy with their careers but glad to be done.  A few doctors.  When people introduced themselves, it was easy to recognize them even after 50 years.

After brunch I drove through my old neighborhoods in Philly, to see the grade school I went to, the spot where my junior high stood and my high school.  I also drove by my family’s first house, a 1200-square- feet place with a basement and backyard that had been substantially upgraded.  I also drove by my old neighborhood in Elkins Park and our house, which also looks much nicer than when we lived there.

Finally, I visited my mom’s grave.  She died in 1965.  For the first time visiting it, I didn’t cry but I did wonder how different my life would have been, for the better or worse, had she not died so young.  Not complaining, just thinking about how certain events in one’s life affect it.