I have just received an invitation to my high school reunion. It will be our 65th class reunion. I am proud to say I got to the fifth to the 55th reunions. We held one starting at our fifth year after graduation and each five years thereafter. Our class graduated in January, 1951 and was the last class allowed to graduate in January in Akron, Ohio.
Obviously we were a small class with just 84, and probably a third of us had been together since grade school. There were probably four or five grade schools who came into Garfield High School and yes, we were named for the president.
My sister always lived in the neighborhood we grew up in and I always had room and board so I could attend, unfortunately though she was three years younger than me, I lost her several years ago, not to mention I’m not physically able to go any more anyway.
This last tornado that whipped through Fayetteville reminded me of one that came through about 40 years ago. My children and I lived in a small house on South Jeff Davis Drive and I surely did not have the money to have someone replace the shingles that the tornado blew into oblivion. So I got a bundle of shingles from Huie Bray, threw it on my shoulder, climbed up a ladder on the roof and deftly filled in where the shingles had been.
There is an advertisement on television showing someone reflecting on the fact that the gardening gene skipped their generation. I can identify with that – my father was well known, locally, for his roses and my mother-in-law for her violets. I have no more to say on this subject.
Those who have known me for eons know I love to debate, talk on county history, or just talk in general. Decades ago I worked for C & S Bank and employees could enter a bank-wide speech contest. You had to have two topics, one was for the first speech, which was the one you were judged on, and a second one you gave but it was not judged.
After the evening was concluded, one of the judges told me if I had given the second speech first, I would have won. Story of my life.
Not much in life irritates me, well, people who tell lies about me does count as number one, but number two is the fake blondes on television. If I were on national television and bleached my hair, I would always make sure my part was not allowed to grow out even a fraction, without making sure it was bleached. For whatever reason, I can’t stand to see all of them with a black streak an inch wide along the part.
Several months ago I asked a health question I did not understand. Someone promptly answered and I thank you, PJG.
