Back in the 1960's, I had the good fortune of somehow finding a pen pal. We wrote for many years. Why we drifted apart, I'll never know other than it's common for growing boys to gain other interests than sharing letters with one another.
Over the years, I've thought of him often. I could remember his name - Bryan Wild - and that was about it. I don't even remember where he lived other than it being somewhere in England.
How we met is now fogged over by time but I do know my mother wrote to his grandmother. His grandmother's name was Carmen. We have a Scottish plaid which Mom finished the edges of and which we use on our sofa to this day. The fabric was a gift from Carmen. I know the two wrote about knitting.
So what brings the topic to light after so much time has passed? Some years ago I was going through boxes which were in storage in the barn. In one of them I found old photographs. Most are yellowed with age but all were important to me. When we moved to Pinehaven 24 years ago, the boxes were put into storage.
I found the photos mostly mouse-chewed along the edges (see the middle of the bottom border on the one above for an example) and generally dirty. And yet I could not throw them out. I dusted them off as best I could, placed them in a fresh box and put them in my closet (indoors this time, at least). The other day I was going through the photographs and found two that Bryan sent me.
This one was perhaps taken behind his home. Ah, it's 1966 so the Beatles haircut is a requirement.
Now the photos won't be recognized by anyone except Bryan himself. And so I cast this net upon the Internet to see whether I might dredge him up.
One more thing. The back of each photograph is similarly marked in this way:
I see the word "Ilford" is slanting across the back of each picture. I'm guessing that the name of the photographic paper itself and doesn't note a location or a processor.
So, Bryan Wild, what's become of you? You'd be a man of about 60 and, like me, nearing the end of your working years (at least I can hope).
We've got a gap of a lifetime to fill in.
Addendum:
1. Carmen Stokes was Bryan's grandmother; his grandfather was Jack Stokes.
Much later:
January 27, 2023
Miracles do happen. This morning I woke to a number of messages that a Bryan Wild was looking for me! It couldn't be! He remembered enough about me (name and where I lived when we wrote) and posted this message on one of the Miamisburg High School Facebook pages:
The comment was also reposted to the Miamisburg High School Alumni page and those were the sparks that generated the messages I received. I wrote to Bryan at once. Saturday (01/28/23) at 9:50 AM I wrote:
"Bryan, did you try to contact me via a Miamisburg school group on Facebook?
If so, you found me!"
At 2:35 PM that same afternoon we were again communicating after 55 years.
For the past few days we've been catching up. I've actually lost sleep over being reconnected to such an important voice from my past. Life has its highlights and this is one of them.
Bryan Wild
Go back to the top of this page and note the "Scottish plaid" fabric my mother always cherished from Bryan's grandmother. Bryan said when his grandmother died he also kept a cherished piece of similar fabric to remember her by.
Bryan's fabric (l); my fabric (r)
I still use this fabric on my sofa and sit on it every night. In this sense there has always been a connection.
And amazingly he has a scrapbook from the years when we wrote:
Left page: the 1966 Beatles concert I attended in Cincinnati and a 2" snow we had at my house on December 9, 1963.
Right page: Me at 15 (top left); me at 11 (bottom left); President Kennedy's grave (top right); our house at 734 N 11th Street in Miamisburg after a snow.
Bryan now lives in New Zealand (great circle distance 8423 miles). He's 18 hours ahead of me.
So, there's a lot of catching up to do and promises that we'll not lose touch again.
So, there's a lot of catching up to do and promises that we'll not lose touch again.
Thanks to all who helped make this happen.
