My annual Smith family reunion generally entails swapping a lot of stories that have happened over the past year, eating a big Sunday meal with a lot of starchy foods and swimming in the river.We've gotten a little more sophisticated through the years, with keeping the flies off the food and ourselves out of the sun; Alan Miller picked up some patio tents at Walmart.
This year was a little more unusual. Reg Cooper pulled in about 12:30 and said the Cooper reunion was about to start playing music. The Cooper reunion is held the 2nd Sunday of every August on the other side of the mountain. So it's a little unusual for someone like me of the Smith descent to go a visting over there but I was so interested in getting some video footage of the music I figured I'd a risk getting shot or something.
When I got to the Cooper reunion I couldn't believe my eyes. Theirs was being held underneath a pavilion and the people were dressed up in their Sunday finest. Not only that but they had electricity and were speaking through amplifiers. Some people had stitched 'Cooper Reunion' onto pillows and towels and things. The music was wonderful and I got some good video too.
When I finally got back to the Smith reunion Reg was there and he asked what I thought of the Cooper Reunion. I looked around at my family, they are all sitting around, some shirtless, bellies hanging out, food on the table with flies buzzing around. The fence is broken down and the house lists to one side. I said, "Come on people, let's pull it together. Over there at the Cooper reunion they're giving out door prizes, they've got printed programs and everything!"
My family didn't bat an eye and just kept on talking. I think that's when we all went back for 3rds.
