By Edward Master
Wish I, could have, should have. Regrets, I’ve had a few. I think the regrets is from an old song, a classic oldie as you would. For the most part I’ve been able to keep in touch with many friends of the past. In fact last week, I had a visit from way out of the past, Fred Rupp, formerly of Knox, and a college-mate friend from 50 years past. We swapped a few lies and have many more to tell.
One regret I have, however, is one last visit with ex-coach, and ex-teacher, and I would hope ex-friend, Jan Gallagher.
Mr. Gallagher (Jan, J-B) has been gone a few years now. It’s been (a too long while) since I stopped in at his shop on Fifth Avenue in Clarion before trekking up Wood Street to a rendezvous at the Chapel for the beginning of the Autumn Leaf Festival Parade. Too long, much too long.
Jan got to meet my wife Eileen during our chat in between the ‘How are yous, What’s new, etc.’ Our last chat before Clarion had been at his store of rehabbed appliances in Sligo that sat across the street from the old Gallagher store in Sligo on the road to Rimersburg at the south end of town. I reflect on ‘nice’ chats in Sligo and subsequently in Clarion. My Sligo talk was on a trip home from Indiana (PA), (our residence at the time) and planned well in advance.
I had mentioned to some of my buds about going to see him, but alas we never made it. Jan did show at a tri-class (66, 67, 68) reunion at The Grille in Foxburg (it may have been around 50th) to see ‘his boys.’ I believe he slipped that in during the pre-festivities, for his tracker and basketballers. Mr. G was our first head track-and-field coach. He got us started on the hill in Emlenton at the ‘old’ ballfield/firemen fairgrounds. That was in 10th grade. K.C. Russell lugged his pole for pole vaulting everyday for practice; luckily, I just had to tote a shot and discus. Oh, those were the days (daze?).
Many of us not only had Mr. G. as a coach, but also as a math teacher (plane geometry, trigonometry). At one time, he may have also taught physics.
For basketball, J-B was our designated pre-season conditioner. Up-and-down countless trips the length of the gym floor. I don’t remember much in the way of calisthenics; just the running. Double cramps in both hamstrings at night, lying on the front room floor in agony. Man alive!
He also had his adages, or prophetic philosophies on life’s little quirks. “You gotta spend enuffa time!” “Do you want to spend your life eating jumbo? Or make something of yourself?” The one about ‘jumbo’ lunch meat was my favorite.
In my heart, I honestly and truly believe he came to those reunion get-togethers to see his boys one more time.
When I was a senior in high school, I got lucky once when I didn’t have a ride home as I didn’t have a car that night. I hopped in Jan’s black V-W and off we went toward Turkey City. We talked about what I don’t remember. I do recall that I told him to stop at the bottom of the Bostaff Hill, just east of Alum Rock. He mildly protested, but I assured him it wasn’t much to walk the rest of the way to TC, as I had done it many times (for swimming). Off he went up route 58 to Callensburg and then to Sligo.
I fully understand why I believe Mr. Gallagher liked to attend our reunions. Teaching for the short time I did also rekindles some good-time memories from public school in Kutztown and Indiana and college in New Jersey. If walls could talk.
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