“Life has been good to me so far.”

[Billy Britt]

It has been—to say the least—a hard journey from summer to winter. My dad passed away in July and my mom has had two heart attacks and two strokes. We are caring for her at our home and are please to do so. Once in a while I am able to steal a few minutes and look in on this site. What joy, pain and fun memories fill my heart and head each time I see a familiar face. Even so, as I have told John, I never remember being in the Way Corps with any bald middle-aged men with beer bellies. Of course when I look in the mirror these days I often say, “Who in the hell is that?” But all in all, as Joe Walsh said, “Life has been good to me so far.” On more than one occasion memories of the Corps come back to me, some haunting, some hilarious but always—at least as I remember it—fun.
Even the laws that seemed silly then, still seem silly now. I mean really, every time GW would get us up an hour earlier to pray because someone had not gotten up when they where suppose to. I found it yet another occasion to pray that I wouldn’t have to get up and pray anymore. So, now, as then, it was funny. What I miss most of all was the friendship, the kind of pure friendship that comes from not wanting anything from the other person, except wanting to be with them. We were young, full of life, earnest—maybe a bit to earnest—but full of expectations for what we could accomplish.
To paraphrase the Big Chill, "Getting away from you people was the best thing that ever happen to me, how much Bible, booze, sex and rock n’ roll could one person stand.” No, really, what a real joy it has been to know many of you and to see that you are okay. To learn that things may have not always worked out the way we wanted but we are still here. That alone is worth so much. As time allows I will sneak back in. It is always great to hear from you all. B

[Renee Gunheim Cahoon]

Happy New Year Billy. Hugs.

[Susan Propst]

Billy, Be sure to tell your mom I said hello. She is such a wonderful woman! I have many fond memories of her, dating back to the very first day I met her in June 1973 in High Point at the tender age of 18!

[Billy Britt]

Ah, Hope, you never fail to bring a smile to my face. Yes, well as I have often said, “That which does not kill us makes us wish we were dead.” But I, like you, realize it has been a pretty good trip. For all the hell of Arkansas, I would do it all again if it meant knowing you. So much of this so-called life is wrapped up in getting beyond a thing so we have perspective. As you know I am not one who is Poliannaish about the world but I do think that there is more good than bad. (At least for some of us.) This site has brought me great joy and some pain but I am thankful that John started it. He is a wonderful human being. For over 20 years I lived as far away from most of these people as possible, an exile of my own making, (well, not all my making.) But it gives me a sense of life’s circle as I see again the good people I knew once upon a time, far, far away. Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: