Next week the class of 65 and all their friends will celebrate the life of one of our own and it won’t be one of those somber depressing affairs.

Gary Florreich (above right) died almost one year ago and the world is strangely quiet since he left..The memories are coming back by the truck load. The good looking guy on left is Scotty Murrah, Fluff’s brother.

I can see him belting out “House of the RIsing Sun” at Teen Town, wearing his signature black hat.   Two days before he died he called several of us as he did often on a Sunday.  (Throw back to the old days I guess when your parents made you make long distance calls on Sundays because of reduced rates.)

He actually opening his conversation that evening with a song – first time he’s ever done that.  He was his usual upbeat self, and excited about some new projects he had going.  (Gary always had a project going – big stuff like tearing out the back wall of his house or refinishing  the car – nothing mortal men would attempt.)

Anyway we’re all indebted to the Torquays – our high school dance band – for agreeing to play one last time to celebrate Gary’s life.  It will be one among many reunions of the “kids” from West Point High School from the midcentury Mississippi.  Eeue, makes us sound like relics, doesn’t it?

Well, we’re not!  We refuse to go quietly or sit in the corner and play all “distinguished and wise senior citizen”.  There’s nothing distinguished about my crowd and there’s a good chance we might go for a midnight joy ride and “roll” someone’s yard or go out to the trestle to look for the “light.” .

So if you don’t want to get rolled, you best join us Friday at 7 p.m;. at Teen Town in West Point.