Too Late for Goodbyes

by Julian Lennon

Ever since you've been far away,
I've been wanting to fly.
Now I know what you meant to me.
I'm the one who should cry.

And it's much too late for goodbyes.
Yes, it's much too late for goodbyes.

+++++++++++++

During my Sophomore Year, Julian Lennon came out from his father's shadow and released "Valotte." The album was produced by Phil Ramone (more commonly known as Billy Joel), which meant it had top hit potential from the get-go.

The song was a fringe Music Video hit on MTV, but found a place in the rotation on VH-1, the adult conemporary station. In ways, I liked Julian a lot more than his father's solo works. It didn't explore too much, and although the comparisons to John Lennon were evident, it still stood alone, mainly due to Billy Joel's efforts.

In 10th grade, I fit uncomfortably between the jocks and the nerds, not really being the center of either group, but a fringe player in both. During lunches, I roamed from group to group, sitting with different people on a regular basis.

The songs from this album seem to bring back memories of later years in high school. Mostly, I remember playing touch football with the bandies while I waited for Soccer practice to begin. Steve Friend, Mark Brennan, Kurt Dieckmann, Ward Singer, and the rest.

Then, I'd head off to Soccer practice and hang out with Mike Klein, Eric Yavitch, Mike Weible, and Pete DiSalvo. Even in social ways, the two groups had such a different dynamic. I can't explain it - it just was different.

Even now, I watch "The Breakfast Club" with great reminisince; that was the movie of Generation X. I secretly root for Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall to trade places for more than one Saturday afternoon.

I grow older every day and each day, my life becomes more about the next generation and less about my own. My friends have children of their own and these kids now roam the high school halls that we once called our own.

"And these children that you spit on,
As they try to change their worlds,
Are immune to your consultations,
They're quite aware of what they're going through."

- David Bowie, "Changes"
(as proscribed in the opening credits of "The Breakfast Club").

And so it goes...

.

Whenever I hear a song from Julian Lennon's "Valotte", I think of Rodney Metcalf. He committed suicide sometime during our Junior Year or Senior Year. I hung around a bit with Tim Zag. As a consequence, I also hung around a little bit with Rodney Metcalf.

Rodney was the 'doubting thomas' of our class. If there was anything he could be 'too cool' for, he'd be the first to roll his eye and shake his head. Often, it was just him and Tim hanging out for lunch at one of the benches that surrounded the courtyard. This is how I'll always remember Rodney. It'll probably also be the way I always remember Tim, too.

.

Now the courtyard is gone, along with everything but our memories. Our kids have taken our place, and as John Coffman always said, "Only the names and the faces change."

.

How can you beat a quote like that? I look back fondly on my school days and remember the faces that entertained and challenged me. In all honesty, is it ever too late to say goodbye...or even hello again?