By Steve Svetovich

As a youth, he was articulate, witty, curious, cool, intelligent, personable, and a bit of a rebel all in one.

He was adventurous, had a keen sense of humor, was always in on a prank, and had a defining laugh that earned him a lifetime nickname.

He’s Kevin “Gig” McGowan, born and raised in the Green Ridge Plot section, and a big part of its lore.

This scribe had a chance to spend a few hours last month with my childhood friend from Robert Morris Elementary School and North Scranton Junior High School.

Ironically, it was at Gig’s Scranton Central High School Reunion where we were reunited. This is a  reunion this scribe thankfully gets invited to every five years despite not even graduating from there. But that’s another story.

Gig attended the reunion with his lifetime buddy John O’Connor, another Green Ridge Plot legend.

In our youth, we would be meeting on the trestle of the railroad tracks. This time it was at the Waldorf Tiki Bar in East Mountain.

This scribe had not seen Gig in a couple decades, but we recently started texting and calling each other to catch up on the years.

Gig, like many in our generation, took awhile to find himself and his pathway in life. At some point around 30, he did.

Somehow he ended up in Louisiana where he has a family.

He held various jobs and vocations in his life, including eventually becoming a teacher for some time.

Through it all, he matured a bit, but still maintained his curious nature, humor,and  an introspective look on life.

And that led him to his greatest passion – writing. That’s a passion we have in common and he can certainly relate to it.

Several months before we reconnected at the high school reunion, Gig mailed me an interesting book of poetry he wrote and published.

The book is called, “Pangaea.” It was published by Kelsay Books of American Fork, Utah.

Gig’s poems are an assortment of observations and life experiences, some with subliminal messages. Some are about his experiences living in Northeast Pennsylvania, particularly the Scranton area, and the many characters met and places seen.

A sample of the work in his book comes in the poem, “Merwin and K. Arthur Return (to Scranton, Pennsylvania).”

He wrote: “Bill, we can go back. Forty years gone, the cops have forgotten my name. And you – sometimes the homeland forgives its prophet.

“The only coal left is in the museum of Nay Aug Park, and the spot where we played king of the culm pile is a parking lot.

“It’s true the Lackawanna train station is now a landmark hotel, and Pete Bordi’s dime drafts and quarter hot dogs were replaced by a Gap store in 1989, but the Glider restaurant still serves the best french fries and gravy in the world (I’ll need your testimony on this).

“The Lackawanna River has fish.

“You’ve lived in Hawaii and Spain and Mexico and Poetry and everywhere the raven flies, but is there any place like Scranton?

“We’ll go out drinking Saturday night and wake to your father’s church bells one more time.”

In the poem, “Black Diamond,” he writes: “To be honest, I don’t want to think deeply on anything. You, me, us, the evil letter, cholesterol, ex-wife, ex-jobs, existentialism, global warming, a long-stemmed white rose in a bomb crater.

“Once on the thirteen-hundred miles back to Scranton I tried to picture everyone I ever knew. After a while my head hurt. I couldn’t bring them all back.

“When the coal in our furnace turned to cinders, my grandfather would gather the ashes and spread them on the ice.

“This I understand.”

In his acknowledgements of the book, Gig gives special thanks to David Dodd Lee.

He dedicated “Pangaea” to the survivors of the Green Ridge Plot section and to the memory of those who passed away, including Clarence, Bam, Hammerhead, Bomar, Pifer, Jake, Stone’s brother, Bruce, Kim Snyder, Mickey, Melonhead, Elmer, V, Gong Gong, Madge, Bug and Mo (original).

A fitting tribute.

Gig has a different job now. He is no longer teaching. But he is looking forward to eventual retirement, so he can continue with his passion.

The curiosity remains and so does the creative outlook on life.

Gig has a lot of writing left to do. And he can’t wait to get started again.