05-22-26

Kansas Snapshots by Gloria Freeland - May 22, 2026

Being together

I hadn't seen high-school-friend Joyce for years. She lives in Wichita, which is only about three hours from our home, but circumstances have kept us from getting together. We decided we just wouldn't let any more time pass. The plan was for her to come for an overnight visit.

Joyce and I graduated from Peabody-Burns High School on May 25, 1971. I just can't believe 55 years have passed since that commencement day. Then, we were roommates our first year at Kansas State University.

She arrived at our home on May 5 around 2 p.m. - slightly later than expected due to highway construction along the route. After lots of hugging and chatting, we and hubby Art were all hungry and so hopped in the car and went to Vista - an iconic hamburger joint in Manhattan that has been here since 1964. It was - and still is - a popular place for students and local residents.

After eating our "Vistaburgers," Art took us on a driving tour of Manhattan and the K-State campus. The idea was to show her how things have and have not changed over the years. We drove through the heart of campus past Anderson Hall - one of the university's oldest buildings - and to the north side to show her the relatively-new athletic facilities. We also went through Aggieville, a shopping district geared toward the student population, both then and now.

A stop at Vista. Good memories and good food

I had planned to make salad and spaghetti for supper, but our middle-of-the-afternoon Vista lunch meant none of us was very hungry and so we opted for snacks mixed with conversation.

The next morning, we took a walk down memory lane when I brought out the plastic box that has memorabilia from our high school years. Among the items were a 1971 LIFE magazine, programs from our 1971 baccalaureate and commencement exercises, a composite photo with "mug" shots of our high school graduating class, my diploma, the white tassel from my graduation cap, and photos of teachers, classmates, the school, and events.

When I later described the day to sister Gaila, she wondered if Joyce enjoyed going over those things. I replied that Joyce was more surprised I still had them.

I also had a manila envelope with mementos from our 1971-1972 year at K-State - my admittance letter to the university, season tickets for football and basketball, birthday and other cards, my residence hall ID card for Ford Hall, photos, news articles, and more.

These too elicited more reminiscing. We laughed again about the time Joyce's pet hamster escaped from its cage. We thought maybe it had somehow crawled into the pipes that ran across the ceiling of our basement dorm room, but we found it several days later nesting in a pile of newspapers I had saved for a journalism assignments.

Tripping down memory lane

Art kept hinting to Joyce to stay longer. I was so glad when she agreed to stay a second night. That way, we could do a "walking tour" of part of campus the next day.

Art dropped us off at the Beach Museum of Art, where we spent about an hour going through the "Kansas Triennial," "Rural America," and "STE[A]M: Exploring Science and Math through Art" exhibits.

We walked past the museum's outdoor meadow and sat outside All Faiths Chapel for a bit.

We then went to the K-State Student Union, which has undergone multiple renovations over the decades. We ate sunflower salads, and then walked across the street to the K-State Alumni Center to see letter jackets, buttons, pennants, and other items donated by alumni.

Outside, several current students were setting up tables and stringing balloons for a graduation reception. I asked one of them to take a picture of Joyce and me by the bronze wildcat on the north side of the building.

About mid-afternoon, Art picked us up and we headed home.

Visiting the Beach Museum of Art

As evening approached, I started prepping for the supper I had postponed from the evening before. Joyce chipped right in, cutting onions, peppers, and mushrooms for the salad, while I chopped lettuce and started frying the ground beef. Joyce buttered the French bread and added chopped garlic to the slices. Before long, we were enjoying the fruits of our labor.

Our paths separated after our freshman year at K-State. I continued along the college path, while Joyce married Ken, a New Zealander who had been an exchange student at our high school. She came home occasionally to visit her family and friends. After college, I opted for Peace Corps in Ecuador and then two years as a reporter in Costa Rica.

But Joyce and I kept in touch. She wrote beautifully-detailed letters about her life in New Zealand. Occasionally she sent a cassette tape, including a heartfelt one after my first husband Jerome died.

Art and I visited her in New Zealand in 1998 to help her begin the process of moving back home when she and Ken decided to go their separate ways. We were grateful to visit that beautiful country. Without Joyce there, it’s unlikely we would have gone.

Now, looking back through the the pictures of her visit, I was a bit surprised how few I took - something that isn't like me. And then it struck me why. Through all our ups and downs in life, Joyce has remained a steadfast friend - someone I felt connected to even when we were apart. Her visit was not about doing things together, but about being together.

Art's been prodding Joyce to update her passport and join us on a trip. Whatever happens, we can't let so much time pass before we get together again!