My connections at America West Airlines had come through for me and the long years as a Cargo Supervisor there had paid off and I had been able to secure free buddy passes for those who needed them with a first class upgrade to help stretch the legs on the long flight home, some flights longer than others. Those that needed them had their tickets in hand as the long black limo pulled up to the America West Terminal.

Gray Dragon had arranged to have his wife Marie meet him and drive the short drive back home to Cocoa Beach. After we all had scrambled out and had our luggage and souvenirs tagged and hauled away and went into the terminal, we all were glad to meet Gray Dragons wife, him more so then us, but not so glad to say goodbye. A few hugs and handshakes and soon the last we saw of Jim and Marie were two little dots growing even smaller as they passed through the glass doors and disappeared off into the sunset.

Scoop and Rog were the next to leave. Rog was taking Scoop back to the executive terminal where his boss provided plane and crew stood by for immediate take off on his arrival. The sleek white Gulf Stream Jet that had served us so well had to be back in Virginia by the next morning or both Scoop and Sam would be taking a HUGE hit on their credit cards and we all know Sam’s card was toast by this time, the huge pile of NASCAR souvenirs and memorabilia that he had checked through told THAT story pretty well.

Goodbyes are hard for men, we want to do what women do and hug and cry and make a mess. But being the manly men we were it made it a little harder. Hands were grasped in friendship bonded by an Experience together. The hand shakes and cordial pats on the back could just not convey the depth of feeling going through each man as we sadly said our last goodbyes. At the rough touch of each mans hand as we said goodbye touched me and made me realize how important it is in life to share good times with good friends and get to know them better. Did I just say important? More like essential to the growth and development of the shared human spirit in all of us.

I once told Scoop that, “We are all in this human boat together and none of us get out alive”. He promptly responded, “That may be true old man, but sit down for now before you tip the boat over and we all drown before we have to”.

The Limo was gone, so were Scoop, Rog and Gray Dragon. Soon the boarding call for the flight taking Old Red back to Ft. Worth and his waiting old red pickup. What a lesson had been learned from this amazing man and his take on life at 89. What really impressed me about the Red Man was not only the colorful and wild adventures he had experienced in his long life, but the grace he lived it with and the morals he upheld while going through it, that is what impressed me the most! I was again acting like a woman as I watched him slowly walk down the jet way and disappear inside the airliner and didn’t even try to wipe the tear forming in my eye as I turned to face the others. Didn’t matter though, as far as the tear in the eye thing, we really WERE all in this human boat together.

Soon Sam and James were off to Denver and a plane change that would carry them the rest of the way home to their waiting wife’s and families and in Sambo’s case fulfilling the promise he made to reporters in front of the Governor of California when he said “I’ll be bock” what now seemed like so, so, long ago! What could I say to these guys? Funny when you need words the most, they just don’t seem to form! We stuttered, we cleared our throats a lot but not much was said as I waved goodbye to my good friends as they headed to the plane and the lonely sky above. Not much was needed to be said though, we heard it all when we looked into each others eyes.

Then left alone to my thoughts it was soon my turn for a flight to Phoenix and then on to Medford where there was a waiting family, a waiting Mrs. Boomer and a waiting frying pan. The airliner lurched and roared down the runway under full power and was soon free from the bonds and boundaries of the spinning earth. It was late and inside the speeding jetliner, one by one the reading lamps were turned off and soon seats were back and people sleeping. I fully intended on joining them as soon as possible, but as tired as I was it took me awhile to wind down and drift off.

In my dreams the Seven Dwarfs danced and whistled while they worked in some how even while dreaming I realized what they all were able to whistle while they were hard at work for it was because these seven old dwarfs had shared an experience together and had forged friendships in those old mines that at times made even Grumpy Happy!

To Be Continued