The internet is indeed amazing and I love reconnecting with old friends and getting reacquainted with people who I thought were long since gone from my life. As you’ve probably figured out by now, this post is another adventure down memory lane.

When I was seventeen and a student in Bossier City, Louisiana, I had some pretty high hopes. I wanted to be a writer, an actor, a foreign correspondent and I didn’t consider it possible not to be all three. I had performed in a few plays in school and I had always gravitated towards the creative writing and journalism courses but in the fall of my Senior year in high school, at the age of 17, I started to take more drastic steps to realize my dreams. I remember hearing that the annual haunted house at the fairgrounds, Dr. Blood’s, was looking for volunteers for the next haunted house production. I couldn’t wait to audition.

I ended up with something a whole lot larger than a part in a Halloween scene. I ended up getting to know Drew Hunter, Dr. Blood himself and the creator of the annual event. Drew was involved with multiple local theater companies and his artistic talent was very well known. We started hanging out and doing things together and in turn he began to introduce me to people involved in the Shreveport, Louisiana, creative world. Drew had fabulous parties, did fabulous things, lived in a fabulous house and had a fabulous soul. He took me under his wing and became an instrumental part during a pivotal period in my life. We went dancing at The Florentine, ate late dinners at The Piccadilly Italian Restaurant and drank Amaretto Sours. Thanks to Drew I worked with The Peter Pan Players, helped decorate a set for Justin Wilson, and appeared on local television as a goblin.

Drew would have costume parties and on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1980, I dressed up as some sort of trapeze artist complete with cape and red feather collar. The feathers were stapled on and through the night they would come loose. I seemed to leave a trail of feathers wherever I went… On the following Valentine’s Day Drew had a party which requested that you dress as the person you love to hate. Another novel idea and I went as the snake from The Garden of Eden..

Fond memories, right? The funny thing is that I actually forgot most of them. Like most silly 17 year olds I took friendships for granted and I did not stay in touch with Drew or the people he introduced me to. A few months ago I began to remember his impact on those formidable years of mine and I sought him out. Thanks to the internet  I found him living in Jacksonville, FL. – He answered my original email with all the zest and verve I remembered him having and now three decades later he has impacted my life once again. You see, Drew had pictures and kept storage boxes.

He reminded me of all that we did and sent copies of pictures he had saved. He sent me one of the original invitations from that Valentine’s Party and he also sent in a separate sealed envelope – one of those red feathers from a New Year’s Eve so long ago.

Once the memory gates were open, the flood began. I remembered everything and wow… Whatever happened to that 17 year old boy? I look into the eyes of a photo of someone vaguely familiar and my life is nothing like I planned. A cold slap in the face? Not really. I still share a sense of adventure with that 17 year old as well as an appetite for life. Things may not have turned out as I planned 30 years ago but I wouldn’t trade the adventure for anything. I’d like to thank Drew whole heartedly for re-introducing me to that young man.

The red feather is now floats around freely atop my desk – a reminder of all the adventures yet to come.

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