Old friends turn up when you least expect it . . and it's great





Ron, left, and Steve Cocks inset on a photo I took of Torrance

Beach, Calif., in the 1970s.Steve and I recently reconnected

after following each other on Facebook for awhile.



Thanks to Facebook, Skype and other social media, I'm getting reacquainted with friends from the old days. It's fun!

Last week a long-lost friend who now lives in Colorado called to say hello. We talked for quite awhile. Retired fireman Steve Cocks and I hung around in the late 1960s and early '70s listening to music in the local taverns, going to the beach and parties . . . trying hard not to get into mischief.

Steve was just out of the Army, including a tour of Vietnam, and I was finishing up my four-year Navy stint with shore duty in San Diego. Sometimes I stayed with his folks in southern California on weekend's off.  Steve's younger brother Ronnie and I were high school pals, played music, partied and surfed together. Ronnie was my first roommate after the Navy. We rented a little upstairs apartment about half a block from Torrance Beach.

Sadly, Ronnie died a number of years ago. But it was great reconnecting with Steve who laughed as we were hanging up and said "let's not wait another 35-40 years to talk again." We won't.

At left, drummer Bob Shank and I hold trophy for winning

battle of the bands in the mid-1960s. At right is Bob plays

lead guitar in his late-1970s band. 

Months back I blogged about singing in a rock and roll band during high school. I wondered what had happened to my band mates over the years.  A few days later, drummer Bob Shank called from his home in Redondo Beach, Calif., to say hello and let me know he was doing fine. I hadn't heard from him since the 1970s, so we spent 45 minutes catching up.

As teenagers we spent a lot of time in Bob's sound-proof band rehearsal room, trying out new songs and polishing our act. We ate on the cheap at a local hot dog stand . . . and played a lot of shows too.

Just the other day Bob was taken to the emergency hospital with a serious illness. His recovery will be slow and I wish him the best. Bob's plight illustrates that life is precious -- and short -- and I'm so glad that we reconnected.

Not long ago I got a call from high school buddy Nick Bednorz, a fellow musician whose mother ran a music store/school in the old neighborhood. And I've recently linked up and swapped memories with other high school and college classmates through Facebook.

Mark and Laurie Patton, 1970.

I've been an avid photographer since I was a youngster and it's been fun sharing pictures from back in the day via e-mail or social networks. Recently I sent a digital video of photos and 8mm movies of scenes from 1962 to the present to old friends Mark and Laurie Patton of Spokane, Wash.

We all enjoyed seeing the old scenes of surfing, parties and our families and friends. It brought tears to our eyes seeing the smiling faces of people who are no longer with us.

The clutter of Facebook and other social media can be annoying, but when it leads to reuniting family and old friends, there's nothing better.