By: Ed Creamer

Time goes by and before you know it, time has gone by. Now, you don’t have to have what Jerry Reed calls a “Redneck PhD” to figure that one out. But, what I want to know is where did everyone go when time went by? It’s like they were there one minute and now they’re gone. Vanished!

Take all your close friends from over the years. Where are they now? Now I’m not talking about the jocks in school that never talked to you anyway. Nor am I making reference to the teacher who said you’d received the lowest passing grade in the history of education. I’m talking about the Dudes and Dudettes you ran around with both before and after you matriculated if in fact you did.

It’s not as if you didn’t have friends over those years. Well, those of you who used deodorant anyway. They just disappeared after what seems an interval of time and never returned. Sure, some went off to college and have important jobs now serving hamburgers and fries in another town. But, what about the parents of the kids your crumb snatchers played with. As couples you shared enough pizza and beer to feed all those hungry people in China your Mother always talked about. Now, not even a Christmas card.

Remember the couple next door? You know, the one with the husband that made more money than your husband and the wife that had a body you’d die for? No! Not the ones that embezzled from the church offerings and left town. Although, I do understand they’re doing quite well in Brazil. Anyway, wouldn’t it be nice to know if their “wonderful children” ever grew up and served time in a prison like you predicted?

And what of those people you met on vacation back east. You know, the obnoxious ones with all that money who thought New Mexico was a country. Remember all the good times you had with them even if they never did seem to have any money with them to pay their share of the check? What was that cosmetic line she sold that never seemed to come off your face?

Well, none of these folks are to be found in our lives any more. Oh, I know they’ve been replaced with others that are equally unbalanced. But, stop and think on this. Do you suppose any of those people ever stop to wonder what has happened to you? I mean there couldn’t have been that many people as perfect as us to cross their paths in this life could there?