As we approach our 50^th class reunion, I was thinking a bit about those Broughton days and where I landed and where others found their way….A lot of different routes, a lot of hopes and dreams….

I daily watch the street vendors beat a hearty dance to life in the hot and humid swelter, the din and clutter of Pattaya, pushing pestles hard into every mortar, every som tam (spicy papaya salad) along the steamy corridor of South Pattaya Road, pad thai and khao pad cooks scraping steel utensils along sizzling woks, the spray of chili and oil choking the breathing lanes, clusters of  Farrangs (foreigners) holding court on the daily politic, talking about their days in the bank, the assembly plant, the post office, the police force. 

We sometimes sit back and wonder what if I had gotten the nerve to ask her out, her dad of great fortune and fame, or turn to another avenue of learning to capture a hold on the thrust of one's dream.

"Men will often say how they have 'found themselves' when they have really been worn down into a groove by the brutal and compulsive force of circumstance."           Thomas Wolfe                            

Years ago when I was sitting in Mrs.Stell’s geometry class, caring less and less about the proof she was writing on the board, I longed to be free of the drudgery of the daily grind of attending high school, drifting away envisioning newness and freshness and wonder...then realizing that I hadn’t a clue as to what Mrs.Stell had just said.  :-)

Embarking on new adventures, finding one’s way opening up new insights and escaping that “brutal and compulsive force of circumstance,” a lot of us set sail.  Thank goodness for my Broughton friends and a core of them who I hung out with, making those days so much more enjoyable. My time at Broughton was sometimes pleasant, sometimes painful and trying, but for all of us I think, those days were at the very least a rite-of-passage. 

Today I was walking through the grounds of an orphanage I help support (just outside of Pattaya), and a cluster of little boys and girls spotted me and came running, giddy and smiling and laughing. Hattie Stell's geometry class is far behind me now.

Raleigh days are a long time ago, but I do make it back from time to time to see my family and friends.  I look forward to seeing old friends again at our 50^th Broughton Reunion—50^th!!! Yikes! 

"Once upon a time there was a tavern
 Where we used to raise a glass or two
 Remember how we laughed away the hours
 And think of all the great things we would do"

Mary Hopkin - Those Were The Days - 1968

Hope everyone is well.

From Thailand

Dan(ny)

I remember Mrs Stell as a really good but stern teacher. And a really nice lady. Years ago I sadly read a News & Observer obit about Hattie Stell drowning while on a fishing outing.

I had the worst teacher in the school for geometry.  Everyone called her "Sarge" behind her back.  She had been a sargent in the US Army during the war I guess.  My sister had her and flunked and I did the same.  I can't recall her real name, but it doesn't matter.  She is not someone I want to remember.  I remember taking geometry the second time in summer school and it was totally different.  I had a really nice young new teacher that made the class an enjoyable one.  Jamie Hamilton sat next to me and we competed against one another to see who would receive the highest grade on each of her tests.  Both of us finished the class with a high grade.  What a difference it makes when a teacher wants to make a boring subject fun!