Perhaps I’m using the word ‘friendship’ a little loosely as I begin this blog. It was a very short friendship as I look back on the experience. It began in the early summer of 1961 and it lasted about two minutes and thirty seconds.

Okay, okay I realize this needs a little clarification. I had just completed my junior year in Clinton High School. My two brothers and I had just begun our summer jobs working for a farmer throwing and stacking hay bales. The farmer had even given us the use of his 1948 Oldsmobile car to drive back and forth as we only had one family car which was needed by our parents.

Communication with the outside world on our family farm consisted of a party line telephone. A party line phone meant we shared the phone with several of our neighbors. Each household knew when an incoming call was for them as the phone emitted a specific ring.

If I remember correctly our ring was one long ring followed by two short rings. We would answer the phone to discover who wanted to visit with us.

Of course our ring was also heard on all the other party line member’s phones which often meant ‘rubber necks’ as we called them would quietly pick up the phone and listen to our conversation. Gossip spread very rapidly back in those party line days. 🙂

One evening our phone emitted one long and two short rings. My mother answered the phone and with a puzzled look on her face handed the phone to me.

I too was puzzled as I received very few phone calls since I had no girlfriend and my guy friends seldom called.

Grabbing the phone I said “hello” and a deep, mysterious voice on the other end of the line responded with a similar hello.

I was puzzled now because I realized I was speaking with someone I did not know.

Before I identify this unknown caller I have to share information that will explain the reason for his call. That spring the Clinton Rocket track team had won the Pheasant Conference Track Championship defeating the Brown’s Valley Thunderbirds by 1/2 point. (That tightly contested event could provide enough fodder for a future blog.) 🙂

I had won the mile run which back in those days was considered a distance race. Today it is more like a really painful sprint.

The deep voiced, mystery caller turned out to be John a St. Olaf College freshman who was a distance runner on the school’s track team and cross country team. That summer he was helping to publish our local paper. (His father was the editor of the Wheaton Gazette).

Because he wanted to continue conditioning during the summer months he thought it would be enjoyable to find a running partner to work out with on early morning runs. Asking around the small town of Clinton quickly revealed Mike Larson had won the Pheasant Conference mile so I became that potential running partner.

We had a wonderful two and a half minute conversation which I spent explaining the reasons I would be unable to become his running partner. The summer job was the big problem but also the mile run was a love/hate relationship for me. I sweated bullets before the race began (anxiety) and endured real physical pain as the race progressed.

Over the years I have regretted not having made an effort to accept that summer workout challenge. Had I gotten myself in top running condition my track coach was willing to enter me in the District #21 Cross Country Championship run. Who knows what that would have led to?

I had no idea that I would coach cross country for thirteen seasons at Wheaton High School. What  valuable experience that conditioning and District #21 race would have contributed to my coaching savvy in the years to come.

And now for the rest of the story. 🙂

Several weeks ago as I was scrolling through my Facebook posts I discovered pictures of potential Facebook friends. Some I recognized  while others were complete strangers to me.

And then it happened. The owner of that deep, mysterious voice appeared on a post. I had never seen my two and a half minute friend before so to be sure he was whom I thought he was I checked out his home page. Sure enough he was a Wheaton High School graduate.

For the last fifty-nine years I had occasionally reminisced on that long ago phone conversation. Always second guessing what would have happened had I acquiesced and agreed to a summer of early morning conditioning.

Did John still remember that conversation? I could friend him and find out.

That was an intimidating thought as I had heard he had earned his PhD and had been a college professor. We would have both been in the educational profession however he would most certainly have outranked me with that PhD.

Several days of uncertainty passed and then I thought what the heck so I friended him and to my surprise he accepted my invite.

I messaged him my memories. I was curious to see if he would make any response.

It only took several hours until his message arrived. “It is very good to hear a voice from out of the past and the present. I remember my Clinton summer very well,” he replied.

That response made me smile.

John concluded his friendly and informative message with these words, “Let’s keep in touch and perhaps I’ll have an excuse to visit the old home town again. Best, John”

Yes, he feels like an old friend even though we both have lived most of our lives between our two conversations. Hopefully there will be more to follow. 🙂

Until next time.