How Quickly the Grow Up

In 1986/87, I spent a school year in Manchaca, TX. This was the beginning of my life in Texas and I fondly think of all the interesting experiences I encountered while exposed to the American Life as an exchange student (this while Perfect Strangers was regularly on TV).

I lived with Tommy and Barbara S. and their two kids, J.T. and Marla, then 3 and 5 years old. My exposure to certain aspects of Americane is thanks to the kids’ TV viewing habits (reruns of The Monkees and The Brady Bunch, the forgettable My Little Pony, and lots of Transformers and Masters of the Universe and, of course, She-Ra and ThunderCats and SilverHawks). I've kept in touch -- rather sporadically on my part -- and got to experience some of the kids' milestones.

Well, last Saturday we got to go to Marla's wedding. It was a nice (and short) mass with a ton of people and a huge reception in Austin. There were lots of vaguely familiar faces I couldn't quite place, but while the kids are now all grown up, the parents haven't really changed all that much. It was great seeing them and watching the pride and wistfulness when they looked at their daughter in the arms of her dashing, white-uniformed, husband.

Se here's to you, Marla and Sean, may you have lots of joy and happiness in your life together!