INTRODUCTION to "Me and the Girls"

ME AND THE GIRLS


I N T R O D U C T I O N


This book is a spin-off of an earlier book I wrote. That book was occasioned by my quest to renew contact with former classmates of mine from over thirty-years ago. It was turned into a class letter-writing project for the current students of that school.

Several of the students have kept up a written correspondence with me that continues to this day. Initially, they were interested in what life was like in their town back in the forties and fifties and some of the other activities I took part in over the years.

Our writings have since turned more to a mentor/advisor relationship, or at least that's the way it appears to me. I still try to keep the letters lively and occasionally throw in an interesting anecdote or two. I must be doing something right because it's been over two years, and they still write to me. One girl even continues to write to me although she moved back to Portugal over a year ago.

Through our letters, I've been able to stay in touch with what today's youth are doing and thinking. Not surprisingly, they are much like the teens of my youth. The problems they must face have become more complex than when I was a boy, but many of the problems can still be solved by using the same methods we used.

It is necessary that the names of the girls and the town and school they attended be changed for the sake of privacy. Some of the letters from the girls were not included, but my reply generally paraphrased any question or subject we were discussing, so the continuity can be followed. The omission of the letters is due to my not saving them to disk, an error on my part.

The rapport I've been able to establish with these young girls has meant a lot to me. Oh, sometimes we have had our disagreements, but by-and-large, the confidence and trust has been steadfast. I think the openness of our communications, even though there is a large age gap, has mostly been due to the honesty I've tried to extend to them in my letters.

I'm thankful for the opportunity these girls have given me to touch a part of their lives, and, in a sense, enable me to recall the emotions of my own tender years. I hope the reader will also be able to recapture some of the essence of their own youth.

JEH