As many of you know, I was in Houston this past weekend for my high school band director's retirement celebration.

I'd been wanting to show Anya around the West University area for a while now, and made it a point to do so last Saturday. After driving by my old house, we somehow managed to find our way over to the West University Elementary School and surrounding little league parks. Almost on a whim, we decided to get out and walk around.

It's really amazing that despite all that has changed down there, so much has remained the same. The field that my sisters used to play softball on is still there, and I spotted it immediately, but there are about 4 or 5 new fields that surround it. Seeing all of the different fields is almost like seeing a contrast of eras, maybe even a contrast of social classes as well.

The old field is your basic diamond, with a chain link backstop and tiny bleachers behind it. The new fields have the huge bleachers with the electronic scoreboard and perfectly groomed baseball diamond. Where we once purchased snow cones and boxes of popcorn, now stands a large concession stand selling large hot dogs and all types of drinks you can imagine. One child quenched his thirst after the game with a newly purchased bottle of Fiji water.

We walked around the entire baseball complex and headed to see the famous spot where I electrocuted myself on the electric fence. I obviously couldn't remember the exact spot, but I took a moment or two to patrol the chainlink fence.

We parked right outside the elementary school, so I got to take a peak inside the school through one of the windows. Parts of the school look really familiar, while other parts seem foreign. I would have given anything to have been able to go walk through the halls of that school. Who knows, maybe Mrs. Osby is still there. I doubt it, too.

Seeing the old library and the old church were definitely a trip. Those buildings haven't changed at all. I think that the church even has the exact same blue carpet it had in it the last time I was there. The library was beyond bizarre walking through. Many of the same books that I read, are still there I'm sure. There's a few more dvd's, and a few more computers, but everything else is exactly as I remember it.

As if that emotional whirlwind wasn't enough, we followed the trip through West U. with a trip to see dad's bench at Herrman Park. I'm really glad that we chose to honor dad with a bench at his favorite park, instead of some grave marker at some cold graveyard. It feels more personal to sit in a place where dad loved to visit. It always helps me feel closer to his spirit.

As an aside, I've been slowly collecting some of dad's books right off the book shelf. As emotional as it is sitting on dad's bench, it's even more emotional reading the same books that he did. I wonder if he was thinking the same things I am thinking as I turn the pages.

The following day, we went to Mr. Geiger's retirement at Westfield High School. I've come back to Westfield a few times since graduating there in 1996, but figured this would probably be one of the last times I ever make it a point to go back. Outside of my upcoming 10 year reunion next summer, there really won't be much reason to return to the band hall now that Geiger is retiring.

The band hall looks the exact same as it when I graduated. There are a few more trophies, including the much coveted Grand Nationals First Place trophy, and a few more signs of wear and tear, but overall, the building looks exactly as I remember it.

Parts of the actual high school itself look the exact same, while other parts look completely different. It feels smaller. The classrooms don't look as imposing as they used to. The lockers seem too small to actually be able to fit anything...wait, maybe it hasn't changed all that much after all.

It's just a trully bizarre feeling not really recognizing a place that you spent almost everyday of your life in 10 years ago. It's almost like walking through a dream of some kind.

Whereas next year's 10 year reunion will just be the class of '96, Mr. Geiger's retirement ceremony afforded me the opportunity to see multiple years worth of Westfield Graduates. People that were seniors when I was a freshman, and freshman when I was a senior were in attendance. Former acquiantences, crushes, and Prom dates were all there.

I expected to see young people all night, but instead saw nothing but old people. That became my running joke all night. All these people that I used to be in high school with are all getting older, myself definitely included. It's amazing that most of the faces looked the same, while the bodies were definitely changed. I almost wanted to walk through the room with my hand covering the lower half of people's bodies.

I must have changed a lot since high school, because no one really recognized me until I went up and re-introduced myself. Then it came back to them with a rush of familiarity. I don't know, must be the hair and the sideburns. Either that, or I was nerdier than I thought in high school.

The retirement ceremony itself was a trip. Mr. Geiger didn't know that he was having a retirement party, so he was surprised to walk in the room and see roughly a thousand of his former colleagues, friends, and former students crowded into the new performing arts center. I think it really caught him off guard.

After a slideshow and a slew of guest speakers, the Symphonic Band came out for Mr. Geiger to direct one last time. He conducted a couple of his favorite pieces, and then that was it. It was all over, for both the ceremony and Mr. Geiger's Westfield career.

It's really sad seeing him retire. He's been such an influential person in all of his student's lives, that most of us can't possibly begin to imagine where we'd be if we hadn't been in his band program. From my own standpoint, much of the Marine Corps was a piece of cake after 4 years of Geiger. I don't know. Being in the WHS Band was one of the top highlights of my life. I'm just glad I was able to come down to Houston to let my band director know this.

matt out