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Thomas W Brink
9/21/14
What a treat it was to see so many people at the reunion. The wonderful things about "growing up" after high school is that we can meet again, toss away the things we'd sooner forget, and focus on memories and what has happened since high school.
I reconnected with people whom I did not know well, James Wilcox Dimmers, in particular, and am the richer for it. What an amazing soul he turned out to be. Would you like to see his work? http://www.jameswilcoxdimmers.com will take you there.
I got to give my prom date the hug that she did not get after the prom. "Awkward" would be too kind a word to describe my social skills in 1964. (Barb, you may insert as many other adjectives as come to mind. They are all too true.)
I was finally able to tell Connie Waugh Hamilton how much I admired her piano skills in high school, and remind Don Hamilton that I saw his work from junior high school at the State Fair and marvled that a 13 year old could make furniture that looked that good. Don and Connie have been married for nearly 50 years, I believe.
I learned that Julie Dybdal made the cheerleading squad and gave it up for "Bud" Engen to remain in the choir without having the vocal strain of cheering. While she doesn't regret it now, she agonized at the time.
Kathy Carlisle, whose fuzzy sweaters I loved to sit next to in Miss Skjelset's biology class, had no idea how fond I was of them, while I had no recall of a peck on the cheek when she did well on a biology diagram that I apparently had helped her to complete.
I heard the story of Dan Seebart's going to West Point, a story I'd never heard before. How about his marrying "the girl next door," literally? Not bad, Dan, and you're still married to her her after all these years.
I caught up with Ginger and Carolyn, and found that Mary Ellen Thomas remembers the words to "Goodbye, Jimmy, Goodbye," the first song I danced to in 7th grade at a dance in the old gym in the "old building" when Miss Barkus almost dragged me onto the dance floor. I have no idea with whom I danced, but I do remember the song. Thanks, Mary Ellen. It almost makes the agony of 7th grade relationships worthwhile.
I was able to say "hello" to Janis Lester without feeling as if I was in another social class altogether. I wonder if she remembers asking me on more than one occasion to tie the tie for her band uniform. I do, that's for sure. It was really "cool" to be able to do that.
There were others with whom I spoke and I hope you won't feel slighted, Toad, Chuck, Bob, Jim, Dave, Creech, and still more if I don't mention the conversations individually.
Hats off to Al Hodder, who busted his "you know what" to get all the information that was needed to pull this event off. Thanks to Lyle Parin, who didn't live to see the result of his hard work. We missed you.
And where were Bill Newell, Stephanie Bodene, Ellen McGowan, and Bill Mullin when I needed them? Darn. They would have made the event an even richer experience.
Finally, thanks to all of you. You proved that, while you can never go home again, you can establish new relationships and renew old friendships, almost as if you had never left in the first place. The reunion was a grand experience. Thank you all for coming. Thank you all for making lots of people leave with warm thoughts and fond memories.
Maybe we were not only the "Class of '64," but also the "class" of '64 in 2014.
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