So a note from these guys made me wonder why I treat the old hometown with so little regard. I thought about the rather large number of very fine people I knew back then. Sure there are a fair number that I am very happy to never see or hear from again, but there were also quite a few that I am sure I would still be fortunate and glad to call my friends. I think the real problem is this: I am one of the people I'd be happy not to hear from again. I was a fairly gung-ho guy, and took myself far too seriously. I think this was at least in part a reaction to the small-town mentality where people didn't always take themselves or their lives seriously enough. Now that I work in academia where thou shalt take thyself and thy work quite seriously indeed, I have very little seriousness in me. Anyway, I try to go easier on myself and the people around me these days and I am afraid I have been projecting my dislike for the kid I was two decades ago onto the people who were kind enough to put up with me back then. I think I might even try to go back for the 2010 reunion, although a lot of the folks I would really like to see were a little older or a little younger than me. And the guys that got in touch are definitely among those I'd really like to see.
About a year ago I tried googling a few old friends mostly out of curiosity. Maybe I'll give that another try soon. I'm sure a trip home next summer could put me in touch with a lot of people just by walking up and knocking on some real-life, actual, solid, 3-D, not-an-avatar, undigitized doors.
One of the very few things I am serious about is the mentoring of students. I was most pleased and proud to attend graduation ceremonies for Andy Mitofsky this weekend. Andy wrote a lovely PhD thesis under me and today is teaching at Trine University. I'm very proud of Andy and I was really happy to see that she seems to be really happy. 
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