Reunion-year after reunion-year, I would receive the invitation and send it straight back with a note, "See you at the 50th!" Living in Seattle is a "fur piece" from Sinton High School in Sinton, Texas, where the 84 of us graduated in 1958--the largest class ever, at that time. Once is enough, I thought. Better to come back for that only visit before too many of us were gone for good. As we prepared for the trip, I looked at the high school annual and could remember hardly anything about anybody. What a surprise! As we began to meet on Friday evening in Fulton on the Gulf Coast, as we began to look into each other's eyes and study our faces, things started to creep out through the mental cobwebs. By the dinner banquet Saturday evening, we were a close group of classmates again. What fascinating lifestories people told! and what funny tales came out about who liked whom and what happened to whom. Lotsa great laughs, stories, and surprises! I was shocked to learn that 19 (24%) of us already had passed away. It turns out ours is a popular, active group. A few people from other classes, even some who had transferred away when in the 11th or 12th grades and had actually graduated from nearby schools, had joined the group because these reunions are such fun! Hats off to the organizers who have kept it going and got it done! In the picture above, the two men seated in the front row were teachers, now in their 80's. Tubby Bryant, a good coach who was known for his big, thick, wooden paddle with the hole in it, was our wild school bus driver. He taught us the saying, "An inch is as good as a mile!" Here's a nickel to those who can find Glenn in the photo!
3 comments:
Glenn's classmates turned out to be one fantastic group of people. Warm, friendly, interesting, funny...it was great fun to be part of this group even though Glenn got some teasing about his "young" wife. We are seldom with people who do not know us as a couple and we did not expect that reaction, so it was a bit amusing. (Well, mostly amusing. I did overhear Glenn say to one person, "She's not THAT young!") Next reunion is here in Fulton in two years. Glenn maintained his reputation and told everyone he was not coming, but I told them we will be there. We shall see!
One more thing. Glenn says "when we began to look into each other's eyes and study our faces, things started to creep out through the mental cobwebs." From what I could see, they were not gazing into each other's eyes, they were intently studying each other's nametags! Each nametag had the person's picture taken from the 1958 yearbook and was THE ONLY WAY they could figure out who was who in some cases!
About the next reunion(s), I said I'll be back for the second 50th!
Post a Comment