1981

It's the middle of July. Tonight's the All Star Game. When baseball blows itself a kiss. But no one seems to care too _ much. They took away the World Series last season, and most of us haven't been quick to forgive. It's all pretty disappointing. Those of us who fell in love with baseball did so when we were kids, and diere's a special sadness when those few things that managed safe passage from your youth disappear from your life. Like that friend from college. The one who was always there, right at the center of your life. The.friend you no longer know.

I suspect that's the real reason we come back to Hanover in June. To remember those things from our youth which once made us smile. And to drink under a tent.

It was Rick Silverman's party. The face was the same. The body is not. Dave Shula, head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, should hire Rick as his conditioning coach. Rick is a plastic surgeon in Boston and one helluva reunion chairman. He's our class president for the next five years, so I have to say nice stuff. One '81 who will not be needing Rick's services is Tom Conner. Tom looks younger than he did 15 years ago. He's an orthopedic surgeon in Minneapolis and is married to a woman named Cynthia who, like Tom, appears to have been born during the Carter administration. It's disgusting.

Other physicians who have maintained their youth spectacularly are Maribeth Hourihan Ryan and Tom Ryan. Word is their two-year-old Tommy is a righteous dude. They live in Falmouth, Maine, where they both tend to wounded hearts. Maribeth takes the little ones, Tom the big ones. Helen Hemmenger also mends wounded hearts in Maine. She runs a shelter for the homeless in Portland. Helen, you may remember, was one of the greatest Dartmouth swimmers ever. More important, she went on the LSA in Blois, France with me. My French is better than hers, I think.

As it was 15 years ago, it was terrific to run into Tucker Gilman, a man whose height is exceeded only by his wit. Once able to drive a golfball for distance oft"the Phi Delt balcony, Tucker has taken his unique world view to the Casady School in Oklahoma City. Also tall, funny and at Reunion was John Pasquesi. A Stanford M.B.A., John is an investor for Hellman and Friedman where, I'm guessing, he makes a lot of money. He lives in San Francisco. He is not married and dates very attractive women. I hate John Pasquesi.

On the other end of the height and wit spectram is.. .well, me. And my buddy Scott Stuart. Scott did not make it to Reunion. He was fox hunting with his new friends in Greenwich. More about Scott in future columns. For those of you who did not come within shouting distance of me at Reunion, I write for a new sitcom. The Pursuit of Happiness will follow Frasier on NBC this fall. Please tune in.

Abner Oakes and I will be sharing this space. Abner teaches English at St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Bethesda. One of the nice things about my new duty is I've gotten to talk to Abner this summer. He's a great guy. Please stay in touch with us.

The baseball game's winding down, and so am I. Turned out to be a pretty good game after all. I'm ready to give baseball another shot. Something about sitting in a ballpark that might make me feel like a kid again. That might restore me. I think I'll take a friend.

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