Every time I heard the name Tony Snow I would wonder could he be the same Tony I was sweet on all those years ago. My sister Jessica heard of his death on the internet and pulled out her albums from Summer camp in 1970 and 1971 and there he was the young Tony Snow standing next to her future husband . The Kumbaya years when we were so young and full of life and love. Tony and I did not go to the same school or church and we did not live in the same community. We saw each other at camp or at conferences and spent a lot of time on the phone. Tony was so tall and I was so short. I remember we went to the Cincinnati Gardens but I don't know why all I remember was I had on a pair of slippery shoes and the side walk was covered in ice and I held tight to Tony's arm for fear of falling. The young Tony I knew briefly was brilliant and I loved his poetry. I was sad to hear of his death and my heart goes out to his family. I am also proud of his accomplishments as a musician and a journalist but I think I would have loved to have had a serious talk to him about his last job.
1970 the barefoot Tony and his cabin mates at C.Y.F. Wilmington Conference Camp Christian
Our Friends 1970
Middle row second from left Scot
bottom row from Left Michael, Chris, Jeff (my future brother-in-law to be and ex brother-in-law to be) standing David
In 1970 I was not able to go to Summer Camp due to Scoliosis. I was spending my second summer flat in bed with a body cast after enduring three surgeries and I don't know how many body casts. I still had another surgery to not look forward to in my future. Spending two years in bed was hard on my friends and family, I wasn't much fun and didn't have much to offer. I had two friends when I emerged from the bed sheets in a walking cast but not able to sit, Rhonda and Vicky stuck by me through those difficult years. The first summer Rhonda was on house arrest one of her conditions was that she could visit with me. She was under arrest for her rebellious ways and I was under confinement for my crooked body. We have kept in touch all these years. The second summer Vicky and her family were kind enough to take me in for a week so my family could have a much needed vacation. It was rare for me to go anywhere. Unfortunately I have not kept in touch with Vicky. I wonder where she is?
Rhonda in 1970. In 1971 she was having her first child and did not go to camp. Rhonda became a nurse and had two boys. In August of 2007 I traveled from my home town of Abbotsford British Columbia to Kentucky to spend eight days with Rhonda and her husband Jim. She found out she had cancer in 2006. A year later I watched her as she became weaker each day. I was so grateful for those last eight days with her, She passed away two weeks after I came home. I miss her, like Tony she was too young to go and had so much more to offer to this world.
Vick in 1971
My sister Jessica (Debbie at the time)1970
1971: Second row from left Jessica, fourth in Mary Jane, Trudy, bottom row with teddy bear Jan
Myself in 1971.
Vicki , myself and the rest of the cabin mates in1971
The boys in 1971. Cabin # 26 had the majority of long haired Jesus freaks.
Back row Second from left: Jeff, Tony, Michael, Chris, ?, David, Scott.
Chris was the Senior Officer in 1971 and looked so much like our vision of Jesus that the girls all had a crush on him, or maybe it was just me. As I look at the photo I find it interesting the way he is in the center of the photo, It's been a long time since I have heard from Chris. I didn't keep in touch with Jeff, the brother-in-law but I am sorry I didn't send my regrets when my nephew, Jeff and Jessica's son Ian passed away at the age of 26.
In 1971 we could only dream of our futures. Some of us were able to shape our futures to our desires and some of us have floated freely letting life shape our futures. Now we think about the future of the planet and our children, our thoughts have grown and my teeth hurt when I think too much about the future.
2 comments:
I was there, in 1970, and knew Tony really well, and Chris H. It was fun to see all the photos from camp. Thank you for posting them, and writing about Tony.
It's so great to hear from someone who was there. I needed to write about Tony, and some of you needed to see the old photo's and hear some of the stories.
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