Yes….it was the 1970’s and I was thin! Imagine my surprise to find this picture on Facebook posted by an old teammate Joe Ruppe. It is my senior year, and even my posture is good. I will not share with you which one I am till a later post, but I do welcome your guesses. I will however give one hint of my own choice……I am not the one in the skirt, though I, and probably every other guy on the team but her brother thought she was wonderful……but again, it is not me!

Oddly enough, I did not go to Penn High School. The team a few years before was actually called Penn-Mishawaka, but all the MHS guys must have disappeared for a few years so it just became Penn. It didn’t matter though, because we were all just guys with a passion…..we loved ice hockey. And it brings back many good memories to see a picture like this and reminisce.

I do not remember all the details of back then, but what I do remember is what a great group of guys this was. Hockey is probably less a sport and more like a fraternity in terms of the relationships you have with other players. Many of us came to high school hockey after years of play in the IYHL (Irish Youth Hockey League – at Notre Dame), but all of us spent every winter out on our streets and in flooded backyards with our sticks. The street hockey scene from the movie “Wayne’s World” is dead-on realistic. You play until a car comes, vacate the rink, and then get on after it passed. We never had nets in the neighborhood because we couldn’t afford them, but we always played. What great times!

Anyway, I am so thankful for this gift. It was great to remember and it made me smile. The perfect type of blessing with which to end a great day (because we won two tonight!)

Goodnight my friends and God Bless!

Tommy+