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Young@Heart - My 50th High School Class Reunion

Written by Pam Young | Sep 21, 2011 10:30:12 AM

This weekend my husband and I attended our 50th high school class reunion. We were in the same class together and were good friends, but we never kissed or anything. We just liked each other. Terry was the emcee at the party and we had 180 class mates and spouses who seemed ready to play and enjoy the night. It was a delightful evening and I had to really reflect the day after, why it was so magical to me. I figured it out!

By the time you get to be my age (actually it starts around 50) you discover you are invisible to the general public. I personally love that aspect of being a senior citizen. It’s like being a fly on the wall only you don’t feel like you’re annoying anyone you’re just not interesting at first glance. But when our class of 1961 got together 18,340 days since our graduation (no wonder we look the way we do), we didn’t see a room full of 68 year olds, we saw those kids we once were. All evening we heard screeches of joy at sweet memories. I wrote a poem I shared with the class and although some of the words won’t make sense to you because you’ve never lived in Vancouver, Washington, I think you will relate to some of it.

Sweet Memories

I wanted to write a cheery poem

To warm your little soul

So I sat with a bunch of happy thoughts

Like Waddles and the Totem Pole

And getting a box from Luepke’s

Or a cone from Dairy Queen

The excitement of going to Kiggins Bowl

Through the woods to watch our team

Slocums, Renfro

Dances at the Trap

Pep assemblies, Tolo

And a Mrs. Barber nap

And then I thought about Mr. Click

I had a crush on him

I loved to watch him write on the board

But my algebra grade was grim

The CC Store intrigued me

It was one of my favorite things

Our money got shoved in little cans

That flew away on strings

I thought about the words we used

That don’t mean the same today.

A duck tail’s not a haircut

And a mouse on your desk’s okay

Don’t tell your grandkids

“Bring your thongs; we’re going to the lake”

Flip flops that’s what my body does

Without a bra for heaven sake

In 1961 we didn’t text

We didn’t tweat

If someone had said,

“I’ll fax you”

I’d have smacked’em on the cheek

We’ve learned so much since high school

That we didn’t know back then

We didn’t know where we were going

But now we know where we have been

We’re older now and wiser

And we’ve learned from our mistakes

We’ve witnessed tragedy and triumph

We’ve had babies and earthquakes

But tonight we’ve come together

To celebrate somehow

That the YOU you were in high school

Is the same You you are now

We were blessed to have a very loving class and we could feel the appreciation for one another for coming together to celebrate this momentous occasion.