Most of us probably still remember the friends we had in high school,
whether or not they're still with us today. There was something so
fleeting, and yet so permanent about the bonds we formed while running
around town, talking about who we wanted to date, or being dropped off
at home an hour past our curfew. The people we shared these moments with
were there for us through our best, our worst, and ultimately, shaped
who we became as adults. Ironically, growing up together inevitably
means growing into adulthood--a time when friends who have spent their
lives together up until that point, must head their separate ways and
grow apart.
However, some friendships refuse to die
as evidenced by these five boys who become men right before our eyes.
Since 1982, John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney, John Molony, and
John Dickson meet back at an old cabin every five years in Northern
California to capture the same picture they took when they were
19-years-old. When asked why they do it, John Wardlaw (the man on the
left) says,"We all thought, 'In 20 years, what if we all don't know each
other?' By vowing to take a photo every five years, it would be a way
to stay in touch."
What follows is not only
journey through time and culture, but a vision of perennial friendship
that I hope lasts well beyond their time on earth, wherever they may
be.
1982 (19-Years-Old) - Fresh out of school and ready to take on the world!
1987 (24-Years-Old) - I'm surprised none of them are sporting mullets!
1992
(29-Years-Old) - As they reach the end of young adulthood, they've
learned that in general, grown men are supposed to wear shirts in
public.
1997
(34-Years-Old) - Even as they got to the age of starting a family and
moving ahead in their careers, they made sure to come back!
2002 (39-Years-Old) - Looks like the guy in grey may have hit the gym in the last five years!
2007
(44-Years-Old) - As they become middle-aged men, their smiles are
filled with a bit less optimism, and a bit more world-weariness. All the
more reason to meet up once again!
2012 (49-Years-Old) - In the absence of beer, he holds up his jar and declares, "Here's to the next five years!"
The impressive part is that all 5 friends intend on doing this forever, even if there's only one friend in the photo.
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