Sometimes, we stood on opposite sidelines — wearing different colors, cheering for different teams and doing everything we could to outdo one another. The rivalries were real, the games mattered -- MSJ versus RHS.

But when the final whistle blew, things shifted. We drove the same roads home, gathered at the same places and danced at the same Rec Center. Friendships crossed school lines.

In hindsight, that rivalry in the moment was really just part of a shared experience growing up in Rutland at the same time.  It was our era.  We actually engaged with one another (no cell phones).  We drank, laughed and danced to the best music, ever.

Those memories belong to all of us.  Sure, different schools, yes… but one community, one generation and one collection of stories that continue to bring us back together.