Well, that’s done…

50th HS reunion is done. It was ‘interesting’ to put it mildly. Some folks were recognizable right off, others not so much. And at least one couple must have pictures of Dorian Gray in their closet somewhere… Sigh…

We had over 100 show up, so about 1/3 of the class, literally some that I have not seen in 50 years! Even more special was our coach from Jr HS, now in his late 90s that made it. He’s dropped over 100 lbs from what he weighed back in the day, and the full head of black hair is long gone, but he remembered us!!!

We’ve lost way to many, but by the same token have quite a few cancer survivors, including some that have survived it twice. Doctors, lawyers, dentists, accountants, surveyors, nurses, teachers, many of the guys served, and a few of us made it a career. Politicians, musicians, real estate, ranchers, law enforcement, railroaders, builders, just about anything you can think of, somebody did that for a living.

As usual, it was herding cats to get people to stand still/line up for the class picture… LOL Some things never change!

It was funny to find out I was remembered for three things… My curly blond hair, my hot rod cars, and my ability to run the 880 and the mile in track, including the state meets (sadly, I never won, the best I did was third in both at state. That one sumbitch from Little Rock Central beat me in both every year).

This was one of the seating areas, with folks wandering around, talking to classmates, and catching up. It was bittersweet, as there were many that didn’t come for any number of reasons, but some of the folks have never expressed any interest in seeing any of their classmates again, for whatever reason.

Back at the hotel, I found these in the entry… Two pairs of Honda Gold Wings, apparently the wives ride the trikes, and the hubby’s ride the two wheelers.

And sitting off by its lonesome, one Harley with a monochrome paint scheme…

This morning, a few of us will get together for breakfast, then it’s back to our regular lives wherever folks now live. It was fun, and I’m glad I made it.

Comments

Well, that’s done… — 15 Comments

  1. Coach is looking darn good for his age. My 50th is in two years. Sigh.

  2. My 50th was last year. I had somewhere else I needed to be so missed out. So you were a half miler. Since that was my event, I’m curious as to your time(I clocked 1:58).

  3. Hmmmmm– My 50th was 13 years ago!! Turn 81 in two days! Sucks getting old!

  4. My 45th was last year, same weekend as the ship reunion in San Antonio. So you can guess which one I attended.

    Glad you had a good time, and those bikes look sweet!

  5. “That one sumbitch from Little Rock Central beat me in both every year”
    Not that you let it get to you of course.

  6. Robert- He does!

    Jim- Sorry to hear that. I have NO idea what I ran… LOL That was 51 years ago, but probably around those times. 🙂

    Ev- You’re hanging in there pretty well! 😀

    Ed- Yep

    Rev- They were… Damn near $200,000 sitting there!

    Ed- Not a bit… grumble… 🙂

  7. Hey Old NFO;

    I just had my 35 class reunion and I didn’t attend. Last one I attend and the only one I attended was my 20 and the jocks still were jerks and most of my friends that I knew were still serving. I left after I threatened to whip one of the football jocks asses, I had gotten decidedly grumpy since High school and I was not the same guy I was back then and the old school dynamics I didn’t care for. I may attend my 40, I will see how I feel in 5 years 🙂

  8. Was on the back twisty roads on my bike awhile back. Could see a trike a bit in front of me, I was just cruising and so was the trike. Finally caught up at a stop sign and on the back of the trike was the drivers walker. All I thought was “good” because in a few more years that, more than likely would be me.

  9. I am six years out of my 50th, I was riding high and doing well living in Okie City when we had our 20th from a County Seat Town in SW OKIE-LAND in Oklahoma City. Those that were alive in 83 and liked to drink attended and one of my old girl buddies did one of those ballot things for the most changed and least changed, some of the Cheer Leaders wore their old outfits, and when she helped count the ballots she came up to me and said, “Those bitches still cheat and stack the ballot box!” Folks don’t change, the jocks still try to coast on what was and those who work hard seem to get ahead.

    We were lucky in a graduating class of 63 people in 1963, not including the five who were with child since that happened a lot in the old days. A lot of use served in Military the 60’s and early 70’s and we did not lose anyone in Nam although several were there.

    Through the years we have gathered from time to time and now it is a joy to see who, in their mid 70’s is still vertical and moving around. One of my best buddies showed up at the start of the last one I attended, he visited with my other two buddies, we were kind of a quartet of acceptable geeks in high school, none of us good with dating girls. Funny thing out of four of us we had a regular Army Captain with the 1st Cav in Nam, a two year Spec 5 in Nam, and one who was a Warrant Officer Chopper Pilot and master parachute guy as civilian and me, a four year ASA ditty bopper doing three years in W. Germany keeping us safe from commies. Lots of adventure for four guys who loved to camp, fish and hunt as youngster.

    An addition, in later years we turned out one Ivy League Grad Lawyer, one MBA very large bank V.P., one Missionary and one guy, me who made and lost a lot of money in corporate and retail management. We are all still close friends. Having said that, the assholes we went to school with never changed and the bitches are still bitches and the good friends sill care, ain’t that the way life really plays out.

  10. I watched mine happen via FarceBook posts. I just didn’t want to “go back”. My hometown has decayed to the point where my friends that still live there tell me it’s not worth coming back. And the liberal rantings of 75% of my former classmates would have pushed my blood pressure beyond my endurance.

    Glad you enjoyed yours!

  11. All- Thanks for the comments. Re the lib ranting, there were only two women there, and they both stayed the hell away from me… LOL

    Posted from my iPhone.

  12. Glad you went and it looks like a good time.
    I didn’t go to mine, earlier this month. Tracked it via FB, but I wasn’t interested in going. Pretty clicky crowd.

  13. My 50th is next year, and I haven’t decided whether I’m going or not. I’m helping to maintain a list of alumni, a few of whom are on the shady side of the soil – and it’s a bit depressing. I actually like a few of those people, and I wish I’d kept up with them a little.

    At the same time, one of the noted alumnus cashed in his chips recently and I was sorely tempted to do a happy dance. The man was an ass. He was arrogant and cared nothing for others, although he put on a good public face, and if he could surreptitiously piss on your parade without getting caught, he’d do it and laugh. I never liked him, and I’m glad he’s dead.

    He’s not the only one.

    So I may take a pass.