50th High School Reunion/Anniversary

Senior Prom, 1961, Ah Youth

Well, I had my 50th high school reunion last night at Quail Hollow Resort in Painesville, about two hours from Painesville.  I always have mixed emotions about this, as it's fun to see people you have not seen in 50 years, but you do not have a lot in common, especially if you have been out of the loop of graduates for so long.  It emphasized the fact that there was a group of 'knowns' at school, the jocks, cheerleaders, yearbook staff, people like that whom everyone seemed to have known about, then the 'unknowsens', those who went through school unnoticed by the  'knowns.'  I guess I was a known, as one of my friends said, 'You are the most easily recognized of anyone in our class," what ever that means.  I suppose because of my height, the fact that I still look somewhat the same, except for the white hair and beard.  We spent the night talking, mostly briefly, with various graduates.  I knew and could usually recognize the 'knownens', like Larry Schneider, Nancy Bailey, Mike Dane, Marty Church, the players, the cheerleaders. I certainly was not the most social kid at school, remaining mostly on the outside of the socializing until my senior year when I started dating Evie Petkovsek.  I had one really good friend, Dan Stevenson, who was not there, the Bathory's, other classes, perhaps Dave Colbow, a fellow basketballer, and everyone else was an acquaintance, not a friend.  I really was not friends with any girls, too afraid of them, I think, and Evie was the only girl I really got to know well, even through college.  It was embarrassing to have people come up and recognize me, and yet, even after they introduced themselves, I had no idea who they were other than a classmate.  For some the recognition would gradually come, but many, I have no recollection of, no doubt, a faulty memory.  I did spend quite a bit of time with one of my teammates from basketball, a marginal player, who I never remembered.  I just went back and looked at the team picture and he was there.  I had forgotten his name, even that he existed which was sad.  I acted like I remembered him, and he introduced me to his wife and daughter, who wanted to come along.  They were a neat threesome, a petroleum engineer from Houston, both he and his daughter went to Marietta College.  A couple of other people came up, acted like we had been good friends, and I still have not idea who they were.  One, an older women, remembered that I lived across the street from Nancy Creveling and wanted to know if I had heard from here.  Another was also a basketball player; I think he was cut, but he talked about playing together, which I do not remember.

The meal was quite good, prime rib, chicken, salmon and sides, a cash bar, and of course music, as people seemed to enjoy the 50's and 60's music, dancing the jitterbug early in the evening, but slowing down around 11:00, definitely a sign that we are getting older.

Graduation 1962

It's clear some classmates are still good friends, but like me, the majority have moved on, to other parts of the states, to other groups of friends. I should mention Curt Freed, a brain researcher, valedictorian, who I enjoyed talking with five years ago.  He was heading to Africa today for a safari, with his young wife.  Also enjoyed seeing Tom Leininger and his wife, Bill Fink, an old baseball buddy and friend on Facebook.  It was worth it, I think, but I am never entire comfortable with people I do not know well.  Occasionally, you will strike up a real interest but mostly, we talk for five minutes and move on.

Graduation, 1961

We meet Dad and Dot for breakfast at Bob Evans at 9:00, then head back to the lake after Ed has lunch with his Lincoln Electric buddies at noon.  It sounds good to get back to the lake.