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By: Georgiana McCall, Atlanta Sky Hi Club
It was the best of times last night. Just a simple, regular event for the Atlanta Sky Hi Club-our bimonthly "Happy Hour" at the 57th Fighter Squadron. For those of you unfamiliar with the 57th, it is a restaurant/bar/dance establishment on the north side of Atlanta. Actually, I believe, the 57th is located in a few other cities. The neat thing about the 57th is that there is a small air port located immediately behind the building. Usually we stay inside where there is a lively Friday night crowd on the dance floor. We have to watch for prospects (new people thinking of becoming members) so we sit around and chat, waiting for the action to pick up. Our turnout is normally twenty to forty people-a combination of old timers and new faces. Last night's getogether had a different twist and I just can't stop thinking about what a wonderful night it turned out to be. I take credit, (no shyness here) along with Mother Nature, for changing the slant of last night's normality. Those who know me know I always carry a camera, frequently taking pictures for our club news letter. I noticed last night that we had nearly twenty people just standing around talking in the lounge...no one was dancing yet. So, I ask everyone to step outside so I could get a group picture by the outdoor burning fire pit.
To make a tall story short, after the picture, all of our group just stayed outside. You see, the moment everyone stepped outside, Mother Nature just grabbed them. We were all on one of life's rare and real movie sets. A round, bricked pit full of fire danced before us, music from the outdoor speakers vibrated our spirits and the cotton ball clouds swayed against the twinkling jet sky. Occasionally a tiny biplane would take off or land on the run way adjacent to the canopied dance floor. I was right in the middle of "The English Patient." For those of you who didn't come, you missed a real event. We had over FIFTY people (including four Greenville ladies) and all seemed to have a wonderful time. I ask one attractive, talkative gentleman how he found out about the tall club (you know, the usual speel) and he said out of the phone book. I was looking for "Atlanta Soccer and found Atlanta Singles," he told me. I corrected him, "you mean the Atlanta Sky Hi Club?" (funny look.) Nearly an hour later, after the gentlemen stood up, and I realized how short he was, I discovered the Atlanta Single's Club really was meeting at the 57th same place and time as us! Oh well, put this man on the rack!
I drove home from Happy Hour last night with a warm, fuzzy feeling and it wasn't from the beer. Although my tall club friends reach out worldwide, my heart is rooted in my own Atlanta club. We are more than just a group of tall people - we are a family, sometimes disfunctional-aren't they all? We are all walks of life, all ages and occupations. Yes, we ARE family and at times like last night-we can feel the love....up close and personal.
Over and out from the twilight zone of my tall world---
georgiana