Hello Old Friend

(2026-06)

Since this year (2026) has started, I’ve had a song in my head consistently.  The song is “Hello Old Friend,” by Eric Clapton.  Perhaps you know it.  If you don’t, check it out on your favorite music streaming service.  This song speaks to me.  I have always liked the chorus.  This year it is very special.  This year, I have my 50^th high school reunion in New Orleans.

I graduated from O. Perry Walker High School in New Orleans in 1976.  I attended only two and a half years at OPW, having moved to New Orleans from New Iberia in the middle of my sophomore year.   As a matter of fact, I moved on the average of once every three years for my 12 years of school.  Averages can be misleading.  I was enrolled in three different schools in three different states for ninth grade!

Despite this turmoil, I am particularly fond of graduating from Walker.  I have a few lifelong friends that I made in that short amount of time (one of whom I wrote about earlier in this post: https://mrhensonllc.com/you-did-what/).  I met my wife in high school at Walker, and I’m still married to her after almost 48 years.

Ces Guerra was one of my first friends in New Orleans.  He encouraged me and my wife Julie to host the Reunion Committee at our house in March of this year.  The old phrase “it takes a village” applies to putting together such a reunion.  This group has been impressive to watch.  I am looking forward to attending this fun event!

The closer we get to the reunion date (September 26), Eric Clapton’s song is on almost constant replay in my brain.  As I prepared to write this post, I looked up the lyrics and was stunned (but not totally surprised) to find out that the song was released in 1976.  Pretty cool!

Ever since that meeting in March, I’ve been on the fringe of the committee and have watched their amazing work come together.  I’ve also spent a great deal of time with Ces discussing the reunion and reminiscing about our friendship.  I reconnected with him after he published his first book in 2007.  I lived in California then and happened to be in Houston on a business trip, so I went to a release party Ces and his co-author hosted.  We’ve been connected more closely since that time.

I truly enjoyed my limited time at OPW.  It didn’t take long for me to have a close friend group.  My involvement in our church youth group supercharged the development of strong friendships.  Since graduating from OPW, I’ve run across a few classmates in different places.  This year, I’ve tried to reach out more often to family and friends.  Connection is so important, but especially as you age.

Our reunion is later this week.  I will keep the song in my head and might quote the chorus more than once in person!  “Hello old friend, it’s really good to see you once again!”

Is there some dear friend that you haven’t spoken to in a long time?  Reach out and connect with them.  You’ll be blessed!