Do you ever think of a childhood buddy?

arybvtcw0eolkf · 07-10-2007 08:51PM #1

who you've lost touch with, wondered how they're doing. Or if they've passed away think of them in your prayers?.

For me I've a few but mostly its a mate from my childhood (David Reynolds) who grew up in Balcurriss Rd (Ballymun) with me. But was knocked down and killed in his teens, but year's after he moved away from Ballymun and out to Blanch..

I thought about this yesterday when I found rubbish dumped on the street. This annoys the hell out of me, when I looked it was a guys payslip. And the name and addy was from a mate I haven't seen in about 25yrs but still listed at his parents house.

Anyway, I've often wondered how 'David Reynolds' family has gotten on since his death. And do they realise he's still thought of by old mates..

Anyone else ever thought about hooking up with childhood mates, or just even throw them a thought occassionally?.

Cheeky_gal · 07-10-2007 08:56PM

Thats so sweet...

Yea I would often think of my childhood best friend (Ashling keeve) ....nutters we were when you put us together....lost contact when I went to a different school to her on the other side of the liffey...haven't seen her in years!!!I remember when I was 12 I called to her house (6 yrs later) with a packet of chewing gum for her! Her dad was the only one there so I reminded him who I was and told him to tell her I said hello....looking back that was sooooo weird! Chewing gum!?! What was I thinking!

Savage thread btw!

Latchy · 07-10-2007 09:02PM

Hi Op , yes i was lucky to meet up with a childhood mate about 5 years ago in Dublin while over on a vist and it was great to be able to talk about old school days .I think old friends giving meaning to our lifes,specialy as we get older . It always hits me living in the uk that the chances of bumping into an old friend in town are slim to nil ,but at least when over in Dublin/ireland i have some chance.There are still so many friends i would like to meet again and i am always making enquires as to their werabouts.The web has being a great help and i have managed to track down and few and made contact over the phone.

cheer L

MagicMarker · 07-10-2007 09:02PM

Yeah i do all the time, when i was a little kid, about 5-9 years old, i used to always play with a friend who lived 4 doors up. Marc Matison.

We were best friends and played football all the time and pretended we were brothers, and when we grew up we were going to be a tag team in the WWF:D I used to go to his house and we'd play double dragon haha, his dog was called Rocky:)

I moved away and never saw him again. I'd be awesome to be able to contact him but i don't know how.

How weird would it be if i sent a letter? hahahaha

Twinkle-star15 · 07-10-2007 09:16PM

Yeah, when I see photos of me with my friends when I was younger- I'm not friends with any of them any more. I still (vaguely) know most of them, but it's kind of weird to think that once we were really really close. Or friends I had in Irish college about 3 years ago. Kind of wonder what they're doing now.

Senna · 07-10-2007 10:34PM

was trying to think of another website, american site that tries to reunite old friends and seen this;

http://www.lostschoolfriends.ie/

might registrar and see if i find any.

Red Hand · 07-10-2007 10:53PM

I do rarely, but I don't think we would have anything in common or to talk about now. Even those in secondary school...can't say we'd have anything to say to each other.

But then again, I grew up far out in the countryside and I could count on one hand the number of times I hung around with children outside of school as they lived a good deal away from me.

shane86 · 07-10-2007 10:54PM

Im mates with what id consider my best mate since I was five, 16 years ago now (as in like a brother, as all are my mates, but we have known each other the longest of all the lads). As we were reminiscing one night locked out of it night, we went from kicking the sh1te out of each othr when we were six over the rules or result of a football kickabout between our teams, to aged 17 when we kicked the bollix of each other over a bird, and once or twice in the following years. From headin to Bosco concerts way back when to mad nights at godskitchen in the point

Im sure rows will happen once or twice in the future (we havent attempted to kill each other since February now

It was his fault and he admits it).

In truth ive only got one mate from my school days who I truthfully havent a clue where he is, ir if he is even alive. He doesnt seem to be on Bebo and none of the lads have seen him since more than a year after we left school. I tracked down his ex girlfriends bebo (he was with her when he was 17/18 but broke up in bad circumstances, shes from down the country and i found hers through google because i remembered her first and surname, not sure whether to message her and ask what she knows)

Apart from that ive always wanted to track down a few of the birds who dropped out of my college course (in my college course there were about 80 pupils, equally spilit by sex. By about December nearly every good looking girl had left, one or two id like to track down

)

Ruu_Old · 07-10-2007 11:01PM

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote:

I do rarely, but I don't think we would have anything in common or to talk about now. Even those in secondary school...can't say we'd have anything to say to each other.

But then again, I grew up far out in the countryside and I could count on one hand the number of times I hung around with children outside of school as they lived a good deal away from me.

Yep, same here. I got in touch with a few from primary school that I had not talked to in years. It was pretty much a short conversation on what we do now and that was it. I know where most of my friends are now and suprised that majority of them are still at home with their parents. There is one person from college who I lost touch with, the pair of us were as thick as thieves.

Silverfish · 07-10-2007 11:04PM

When I was 7 or so, I was in Crumlin Childrens Hospital for seven weeks, where I hung out with this kid called Austin the whole time, I swear not a week goes by that I don't wonder what happened to him

The rest... not so much. I know what happened to most of them.

Exit · 07-10-2007 11:19PM

I think everyone has a former friend that they think about. I have one in particular for each stage of my education - primary, secondary and college. The first two I just lost contact after I left the school, I exchanged e-mails with the girl after college, but over time she stopped replying.
I'd like to have kept in contact but at this stage, I don't think I'd have much in common with the early ones. It'd probably be an awkward conversation. If I was really bothered, I could easily get in contact as I know where the first two live, and obviously still have the third's e-mail address.

I'm not on bebo, but it's handy for searching for people you used to know and say "Oh she's married now" or "He's losing his hair already"

Overheal · 07-10-2007 11:39PM

Lets see:

Bryce from kindergarten: really just stopped wondering after a while

then there was a Sean from my elementary days - but we had a big falling out years and years ago: so **** him.

Shane from middle school - he was a bright guy but not in the best family situation: I do wonder where hes at now.

and those were the good people from back when I used to live in the states. It didnt take too long at all to fall out of contact.
then ye got the group from Secondary School in Ennis - but theyre all doing their own **** now: still pretty coherent up in Galway now though. Im just out here in Carlow. Dont talk to them nearly as often as I should.

Firetrap · 08-10-2007 12:51AM

No. The only thoughts I have about my childhood buddies/classmates is that they're not worth thinking about. If I was unlucky enough to be invited to a class reunion, I wouldn't bother going.

tribulus · 08-10-2007 01:02AM

This Dutch bloke I was friends with on holidays 11years ago. He was very good at football (or so I thought) I always wondered if he ever played for Ajax since he was from Amsterdam.

That and a friend who died of a heart attack when he was 14. Had the same humour as me and found the most offensive things the funniest

so I'm often reminded of him.

Blackhorse Slim · 08-10-2007 08:52AM

Mairt wrote:

Anyway, I've often wondered how 'David Reynolds' family has gotten on since his death. And do they realise he's still thought of by old mates..

I never really knew David, he was older than me, but I was friends with his brother. Still keep in touch via e-mail. He drives a taxi, just like his da.

Hagar · 08-10-2007 09:04AM

I know this is going to sound bad but sometimes when things are not going so well I think of my old friend Dessie. Qualified accountant, own business, yacht, everything. Then he downed off the yacht when he was 28 or so.

Maybe some people get all their good luck at the start and get to enjoy it for a short while, maybe some of us get small amounts of luck spread out over a longer period.

Pigman II · 08-10-2007 09:13AM

I think about some of the guys I went to primary school with and how they turned out. After Primary school I switched towns and schools and it was harder to keep up with the guys I was friends with during those 8 formative years. Irregardless I kept in touch and met up with a couple of them even tho we were in different towns now. But by about the age of 15 (either by fate or design) I kinda drifted apart and have never seen any of them since.

So because I've not seen them since in my mind at least they're eternally early teenage kids full of optimism and promise, even tho I know thru the grapevine that they've grown up and gotten careers and families and kids now. I've never tried to re-establish contact with them cos (like Ruu found out) I could only imagine being reminiscence and pleasantries and nothing beyond that.

TBH even by the age of 14 I could feel it slipping apart. Whilst I was going my way they were going there's and turning into typical teenage anti-social oikes that every secondary school seems to nurture. I just wasn't interested so I guess the split would have happened even if I'd still been living in the same town or even next door.

Still, like the guy said : "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" so those guys will always be there with me no matter where I go or whatever happens in the future.

flanzer · 08-10-2007 10:36AM

Every Christmas our family usually take out old photos and reminiss. Last year I found a photo of my 6th birthday and still know most of the kids at it. I know that one of the lads was and probably still is a heroin dealer and addict and has done time in prison for burglary and smugging drugs from the UK, while I know that one of the lads is training to be a solicitor and 2 girls
have gone onto be doctors. How easy it is to take the wrong roads in life!

There was one girl though who I was smitten over, Pamela Sarsfield. I was an outgoing child in the day but remember shítting myself giving her the invitation! She moved down the country shortly afterwards and never heard from her again and often wonder where abouts in the world she is today?

Degsy · 08-10-2007 10:56AM

Funny enough i was just thinking bout an old friend of mine recently.We hung around for twenty five years but kinda drifted apart when i met my ex(he was an awfull bull****ter and made a show of me one night).I rememebr he rang me out of the blue one day having got my number from my mother..i sort of arrangeed to meet but it didnt end up happening in the end.Any of my other mates i dont see its usually coz i fell out with them big-time over something.I do occasionally wonder about ex-girlfriends though,a couple in particular who i was mad about..

arybvtcw0eolkf · 08-10-2007 10:57AM

Blackhorse Slim wrote:

I never really knew David, he was older than me, but I was friends with his brother. Still keep in touch via e-mail. He drives a taxi, just like his da.

Seriously?. His brother's name was Robbie and he'd a sister too.

Are we talking about the right family?.

Blackhorse Slim · 08-10-2007 11:33AM

Mairt wrote:

Seriously?. His brother's name was Robbie and he'd a sister too.

Are we talking about the right family?.

Yep. I know Robbie aka Nobby, I grew up in Blanch. He goes by the name of Bob these days. Don't know the sister, but I met her once or twice when we were kids.

It's crazy, what the internet can do :-)

arybvtcw0eolkf · 08-10-2007 11:37AM

Blackhorse Slim wrote:

Yep. I know Robbie aka Nobby, I grew up in Blanch. He goes by the name of Bob these days. Don't know the sister, but I met her once or twice when we were kids.

It's crazy, what the internet can do :-)

Thats brilliant.

His sister's name is Paula. You might pass mention this thread next time you talk to Bob then. He wouldn't remember me, although he might remember the time I pushed him off a bus shelter and broke his arm, lol.

But he might remember my brother Eric, but they were both very young when the family moved out to Blanch.

John Mason · 08-10-2007 11:46AM

Every now and then i think of my gang from school and wonder what they are doing. Especially when i am out in my home town, its amazing how you think you will all be best mates forever an then you make one decision that sends you a complete different direction to everyone else

i think of a guy i went to school with, whom i really fancied, he hung himself when he was 17 - i always wondered why? and if all the rumours were true - RIP Bob Kelly

Terry · 08-10-2007 11:49AM

I see those I want to see.
I couldn't really be bothered looking anyone up.

Cormster · 08-10-2007 12:06PM

Like many people here, I often wonder where certain people ended up. The fact that I'm still living in my home town should make it easier, but doesn't really since I work the far side of the county and don't be out locally as much as I would like.

Theres a good few of the people I went to secondary school with still knocking around. More of the same are off travelling for a year or few. My parents would be friendly with some of the other parents, and my mother works locally enough, so they do occasionally meet either other parents or school mates.

Theres a good few from primary school who have disappeared off my social radar, many of whom I was never close enough to bother following up. One chap I was in school with (primary and a time in secondary) died while we were in secondary (4th year I think). A shame as he was a nice chap, as is often the case.

Dun laoire · 08-10-2007 12:21PM

http://www.lostschoolfriends.ie/

L1011 · 08-10-2007 01:24PM

One in particularly who I kept in sporadic contact with but haven't heard anything from in over a year now. Internet has left me knowing possibly -too- much about the ones I have kept in contact with

metaoblivia · 08-10-2007 02:09PM

Sometimes I wonder about what happened to the friends I grew up with. One in particular, she was my best friend when I was 10-11. When we were 12, she started having a really tough time at school with grades and bullies, etc. She eventually developed anorexia. Her parents finally pulled her out of school and moved away to get treatment. I never heard from her again.

BrianD3 · 08-10-2007 02:43PM

I have often thought about the people I went to school with but not in a good way. I got a hard time (bullied, no actual friends etc.) and couldn't wait to get away from both the school and the people. Broke off all contact with them and made a fresh start in college. However looking back I brought some of the bullying in school on myself also I thought that everyone was out to get me when in fact it was only a few. I regret not staying in contact with the ones who I now realise were actually decent.

Of course they are all probably decent now, even the bullies. Not really fair to judge peopel on how they were when they were 15. I'd still feel awkward if I bumped into any of them at the same time I'd be curious to know what they're all doing now

stonegroove · 23-10-2007 11:19PM

Mairt wrote: »

Thats brilliant.

His sister's name is Paula. You might pass mention this thread next time you talk to Bob then. He wouldn't remember me, although he might remember the time I pushed him off a bus shelter and broke his arm, lol.

But he might remember my brother Eric, but they were both very young when the family moved out to Blanch.

I was seven when we moved out of Ballymun, and yes I do remember "FALLING" off the bus shelter,

Nice to see that people are still thinking about David,

My Mam & Dad moved to Meath a couple of years back and are doing fine" I have a little sister "NICOLA 26" who has a Daughter and are both living in Cavan
Paula is married with two boys and living in Navan,
I am with living with my girlfriend & Our son in Blanch and everybody is doing fine.

Blackhorse Slim sent me the link about two weeks ago (thanks man)
But I have just checked it out now
It would have been David's 40th Birthday on the 14th of this Month (think of & miss him everyday)

I am new to this site & I just registered to post this comment.
Amazingly, I remember quiet a lot about Ballymun,

You must be Martin?
Hope everything is good with you and the family

LadyMayBelle · 23-10-2007 11:22PM

I wonder where a classmate of mine ended up, Joanne Brogan i think her name was...always thought she was dead posh cos she went to elocution lessons and I had a minor stammer and thought it would be my answer! think she moved to school in Kildare or Dublin...i wonder.

Do you ever think of a childhood buddy?

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