Meeting up with an Old Companion

Me and Adam Calrke with the Kids of Southill 1989.
This last vacation to Ventura, I got to meet up with my 2nd companion on my mission to Ireland.  He found out, on the day we were leaving, that we were just down they way from where he lives, and said if we come back again to give him a call and we could meet up.  So when I found out when we were going to Ventura, I texted him.  

Me and Adam Clarke, Ventura July 24,2018
It had been 29 years since I last saw Adam on the mission.  In missionary terms, I killed him off.  So we talked about the mission.  He wanted to know what the mission was like under President Martin.  Who I served with once he left.  I told him what it was like when he and Elder Carrigan left that day to go home.  You see, we were in a four man flat (apartment), and we were all together for four months. So when Adam and Carrigan left with Carrigan's parents, me and Elder Hunsaker, kind of sat there and said, now what do we do.  We had done so much in Limerick together that it was hard to see them leave.  

I also reminded him of the time, we were going to a members house and there was these stairs, and I said I think I can ride down them.  He tried to talk me out of it.  But I tried and failed.  I was lucky I did not kill myself that day or break anything.  Adam just stood there and laughed at me.

Adam and Myra Clarke, Ventura July 24,2018
It was great to see him and his wife, and share all the great memories of that time in Limerick.  He taught me a lot of good things while I was there.  I know there were times I did not have the best attitude about serving a mission, but he never gave up on me.   I hope one day in the future we can get all four of us together and we can talk about our P-Day adventure, and Bob the Dog.  And I hope to see Adam and his wife on future trips to Ventura.

Comments

  1. Alicia G.July 29, 2018 at 3:14 PM

    Thanks for letting me crash toy reunion. It was so fun to hear all the stories.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feeling left behind

Over the past month I have been to two baptisms, two farewells and a home coming.  It reminds me of what I do not have in my life, children.  I also have had my 44th birthday, which I spent on my own.  My marriage of 22 years is gone, and I really have nothing to show that I am here. But I have been living some what an oddity in the Mormon Church.  Having been married for so long, with no kids, you just don't get the feeling that you are part of the church family.  I have set in many a Priesthood Class, hearing the teacher tell how special it is to be a father, and how closer to God you are.  I really have not made a lot of friends in these wards, because I have no  kids that are in the same Primary Class, Sunday School Class, or Mutual. It even feels like the newly married couple, when they do get pregnant, that they are now one up on me. A few years ago, our Ward did away with the Family Camp Out.  But what stayed were the father/daughter and the father/ sons camp outs.  For
Read more

Trains

Image
Me with Jensen in 2012. As I was writing about my vacation with my grandparents, it made me realize that I had a love of trains.  Not only did my Hatch grandparents work for the railroad, but so did my Grandpa Close.  One thing that I left out from the trips, was that we did stay here in Mesa between our travels from California, Northern Arizona, and Utah.  My grandpa Hatch would always take me down to Pioneer  Park and they had a train engine there, and I climbed all over that train inside and out. I think it that next Christmas that he got me a train set that had and engine that blow smoke.  I had that train until I think the second move out to Arizona.  But I have always enjoyed model trains.  One of the things I really enjoyed about going to the State Fair was going and seeing the model train set below the grandstands.  And then seeing the exhibit in San Diego in 2007. Living in Chattanooga was great as well.  During the Civil War, Chattanooga was the major train hub for th
Read more

Life after High School

This week my oldest niece, Ashley, is graduating from High School.  It is hard to believe that this little girl that I watched from a distance, is now a young woman, and going out into the big wide world.  I remember graduating from the same high school back in 1988.  There was over 800 plus of use getting our diplomas that night. A few days later, I was on a plane to Hawaii, for a week of fun with other classmates.  I had worked all senior year, and back than I think I paid $300 for the total trip.  There was about 15 of us from Mesa High that went on the trip.  About two weeks later, we were all back together to share our pictures of the trip.  The talk turned to what next.  For most, it was off to college.  I was one of three Mormons that went on the trip, and I knew that in two months I would be putting in my papers for a Mormon mission, and with in six months I would be in the mission. field.  I was shocked to find that many envied me,  because I knew what I was going to be doin
Read more