Together, We Grew From Young Children into Young Men-- by Scott Whiteford

Reaction from Scott Whiteford to a 4-day weekend in Colorado with 8 old high school friends from Iowa, after a separation of 24 years...

Relationships are very important to me, and I have known some extraordinary people throughout my life. So, not surprisingly, when the opportunity arose to re-unite with a group of my closest high school friends, I immediately RSVP-ed "yes!" My first reactions of the weekend--5 months in the future--was excitement and anticipation. Although it had been 24 years since I last saw some of them, I was eager to fly to Denver and "catch-up" with these great guys. As the reunion drew near, I could feel my excitement building, but I also felt the strong adolescent bond I had with these gentlemen. With a week to go, I even started dreaming about these close, but distant, friends. How were they doing? What were there lives like? Finally, Thursday, March 3, 2016 arrived, and I was off to Denver.

Over the next four days, I experienced a wide range of exhilarating emotions. Almost immediately, I sensed an immense amount of trust among the members of our group, and even though time had taken a quarter-century from us, I also felt a great deal of security. We laughed harder and longer than I can ever remember as we regaled each other about adventures of our time together in middle and high school and those of our lives since then. We also discussed deep, personal stories, about the turns our lives had taken as adults. Just as importantly, we shared tears, the cause of which ranged from tough choices in adulthood to the surreal adventure we were taking this weekend. 

The eight of us knew each other during formative years of our childhood. Together, we grew from young children into young men. As youths, we shared vulnerability, security, and uncertainty as we struggled to grasp the world around us. We were close as we played sports, tried to understand girls and school, and eventually focused on an unknown future as we transitioned into adulthood. I believe it is this closeness that immediately led to a deep trust and emotional connection during our reunion.

To me, our weekend was transcendental. I felt a deep brotherly love among our group, but I also felt guilt for allowing so many years to pass between visits. Together, we ventured back to our adolescence as if we were in a time capsule, and we remained there for four wonderful days. However, we all knew that our reunion was fleeting and that we would soon be returning to our lives as 40-something year-old men. I will never forget our time together. How often does one get to relive his youth with a group of close friends; even if it's only for a four day weekend?

A very special thank you to Bryce Freeman, Eric Warme, Mike Pollmann, Seth Anderson, Jon Dale, and especially to Scott Belzer and Spenser Villwock for organizing this special weekend.