[ Post a Response | Uaddans Let's Talk ! ]
Posted by Robin Varnum '68
on 4/6/2008, 12:10 am
76.185.48.68
April 5, 2008
Dear Friends,
I have been inspired by Adnan Akant and Trudy Allen to write everyone a
letter. I was thinking of you all yesterday because it was the 40th
anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and of
course that sad event happened just a little before our graduation from
Wheelus. Then I received Adnan's letter yesterday evening, and that made me
think of everyone all the more. I was delighted to hear that Adnan had been
back to Tripoli, driven past Wheelus, and visited Sabratha. I was delighted
to hear that the Uaddan Hotel still exists, although it's under renovation.
I had café latte and baba au rum this afternoon at an Italian pasticerria
here in Springfield, Massachusetts, and that made me think of the Fidat in
downtown Tripoli. But I imagine the Fidat is not there any more. I believe
all the Italians were expelled from Libya in 1969 or 1970. I was glad when
Adnan said that relations between Libya and the U.S. are gradually
normalizing.
Trudy Allen wrote me earlier this spring and tried to talk me into joining
everyone for a reunion in Las Vegas in October. I would love to see you all
again, and in fact my Dad lives in Las Vegas, but alas, October 5-7 doesn't
work for me. I'm going to have to content myself with writing you, and I
hope some of you will write me back.
I now chair the English department at American International College in
Springfield, MA. You guys voted me and Adnan "Most Academic" for our
yearbook in 1968, and it seems you were somewhat prescient. I am married
and have two grown daughters.
I am glad through Adnan and Trudy to have e-mail access to so many of you.
But I do notice some names are not on the list. Adnan tells me he saw Jack
Estros' obituary on the Wheelus HS website. Do any of you know what
happened to Jack? And do any of you know anything about Mark Luce? He and
I were married from 1970-76, but have since lost contact. And do any of you
know anything about any of our teachers? I would be especially interested
in hearing about Mrs. Barilli and Mrs. Guidus from Wheelus, and Mr. Newman
from OCS.
It seems incredible that forty years can have passed since that heady spring
when we had tea with the U.S. ambassador, had lunch at the Uaddan and toured
Tripoli Castle, held our prom, published our yearbook, and graduated. I
hope the years have been good to all of you, and I would love to hear from
you.
Robin Varnum
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