I began my tenure in Bryan at Stephen F. Austin High School in 1958.  I immediately made good friends with Jim Dooley, Gayle Todd,  Dick Monday, Bob Davis,  Bill Hodge, Doc Rideout and Hugh Lancaster.  Our fishing trips were hilarious and mostly full of good humored harassment. We hardly caught fish, but really didn’t care.  Too many of these good old boys are gone now, but while they were around, things were never dull.  I doubt that many of them are still around.  Most of them were associated with sports, but they still tolerated me. Todd was a hoot and Jim Dooley as always kidding around.  Monday and Davis loved to insult each other, but it was all in fun and a private game. Doc and Bill were pretty quiet. Hugh only joined us a short time before he was struck down with a brain tumor and Dooley was later confined to a wheelchair before we lost him.  Doc and Bill and I had one fishing trip that was disastrous.  It was cold and windy. Not a good day for fishing, but we were determined and so off we went.  Doc was a coffee lover and Bill and I left that detail up to him.  I knew the whole day was to be bad when, just as we were climbing into the boat, Doc dropped the large thermos of coffee.  It made a ‘crunching’ sound and sure enough, when he removed the cap, there was only coffee spiced with shattered glass.  BUMMER!  No coffee and no fish, but we still had a great time just ‘hanging out’.  Along with these times, the ones spent with Troy, Billy, Bob and all, were special and filled with good friends that will last a lifetime.  Whether it be former students, kin or friends and acquaintances, It’s good to know that when you passed their way, you left  an affection that will last an entire lifetime on earth.  My prayer is that we will all be reunited when we leave it, donchaknow.     AMEN