Written by Emil
I was unable to attend the most recent reunion of the Bloomington High School Class of ’41, so I made good use of an invitation to get together with some of my classmates this summer. We gathered at the Timbers in Platteville, where we enjoyed some excellent food and conversation. And knee-deep nostalgia.
Our class get-togethers include not only graduates, but also those who were aboard for at least part of the four-year journey. A total of fifteen classmates, plus spouses, were present for this one, prepared to re-live fond memories, look at old class pictures, and bring everyone up-to-date on any new developments. Our three Margarets were there. Also two Williams. And the twins.
In recent years, at such gatherings, we always count our blessings. We feel fortunate to still be around, and be able to join in and enjoy such reunions. The Reaper has gathered up only a few of our members. A number have lost spouses along the way. But only one of our twenty-six graduates has been called home.
Born in the early twenties, we are children of the Big Depression. At the time of our graduation from high school, the world around us had not yet begun to change at a rapid pace. For the most part, we are still hanging in there and trying to adjust. No, we are not running any marathons or signing up for any decathlons these days. But, as I looked around the tables, I decided we don’t look too bad, considering year model and mileage.
There is one thing about a group such as this. It would be useless to try telling them any tall tales. These old minds and memories are too sharp, and we all know each other far too well for falsehoods. But here is a tale about an old fellow who does rely more on imagination than on memory and historical data:
THE HISTORIAN
Poor old Jud’s hands are trembling badly;
He wraps them ‘round his coffee cup,
And thinks, “Maybe the time has come for
Me to give all this caffeine up.”
But coffee and the Corner Café
Have now become his way of life.
‘Cause his old house is cold and lonely–
Since last spring–when he lost his wife.
The waitress doesn’t mind his teasing
Or him telling outrageous lies,
She thanks him for his ten-cent tip, gives
Him his choice of the home-baked pies.
Jud likes to tell the “counter cowboys”
About bad horses he once rode,
And how he got his “brisket stove in”
Down in Tucson when he “got throwed.”
He boasts of rodeo calf roping ¬–
Could really make that lasso sing — ¬¬
His young hands then moved swift as lightning
When he yanked tight that piggin’ string.
He likes to tell the young truck drivers
Of all his days “over-the-road,”
When no run was too big a challenge;
Never arrived late with a load.
Time and again he crossed this country,
From north to south, and forth and back,
Mostly in Peterbilts and Kenworths.
He once owned a cab-over Mack.
Big, old Ed Dietrich leaves the kitchen —
Comes out for a breath of fresh air —
Wipes his hands on his greasy apron,
Thinks, “Old Jud’s still got lies to spare.
“Pin him down and prove he’s a liar —
He’ll just dream up a dozen more.
The biggest rig he’s driven is that
Old hand-truck down at Brown’s Feed Store.
“He’s never seen a real wild bronco,
But–when five-years-old–took a dare,
Straddled a merry-go-round pony
Down at the Dubuque County Fair!”
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Comments
9 Responses to THE HISTORIAN
Em….
It’s an amazing phenomenon when the Class of 41 has only one of twenty-six graduates called home. God has blessed you, being a published writer and columnist, musician, artist and talented in so many more ways. Thanks for reminding us all to count our blessings!
Love
Mick
What are other people’s experiences with class reunions? If I remember right, I only attended my 5th. That was ok, everyone pretty much looked the same and I could tell who everyone was. It was held in a barn of all places and that is probably why I did not ever go back to another one.
I was unable to attend my 30th which was in 2003, but someone sent me pictures of it. I could only recognize a few people and she had to email and tell me who everyone else was. I am not pointing fingers because they would not recognize me anymore either. I graduated with a class of 50 and because I moved several thousand miles away have not kept in touch. I have regrets about that. Last fall when I went home for a family celebration, my sister and I were able to see a close friend from my class who had just recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. We had such a great time that day and laughed about things from our past as if they had happened the week before. We had ourselves in tears most of the time from laughing and thinking about all of the good times. Sadly, she passed away this past spring and I regret not keeping in touch with her on a more frequent basis over the last 35 years.
I graduated high school in 2007, so I haven’t had any class reunions yet, but I feel that when I do go, my experience will be different than that of people who are older than me. Nowadays we have things like Facebook an MySpace (ugh), so I could keep up with a lot of people from high school if I was so inclined to do so. I think I might go to the 5th reunion, maybe, but I don’t really like the way my school does them–They have multiple reunions at the same time, so mine will be with the classes of ’07, ’02, ’97, etc. If there is a separate reunion I don’t know about it, but with all the technology it’s not as exciting as it probably was in the past.
My mom has gone to some of her class reunions and told me about them (she graduated in ’78–shh!), though we run into people she went to school with on a regular basis. She and my aunt still regularly hang out with people they knew in high school, because a lot of people from Chicago tend to never move very far.
Another great article from Emil. My 25th reunion was unsettling as most of my classmates had stayed in the area and did not seem to change over the years. I love Emil’s stories and poems. He is a classic!
Facebook is one giant class reunion.
I also just connected with an old friend, Pam, and had a similar experience. We seemed to pick up where we left off about eight years ago. I saw her at a sporting event, and picked her out from a crowd because I saw a little girl who looked just like my best friend from first grade. It was her daughter. It was pleaseant to reconnect and update her on how everyone was.
“Old Jud’s still got lies to spare.” I loved that line. I think we all know people in our lives who exaggerate (I am using a nicer word here) on a regular basis.
ITA with Jasmin about Facebook, etc. allowing people to stay in touch in a way they never did before. I have found old classmates on Facebook that I probably won’t be seeing on a regular basis, but I do enjoy hearing what they are doing – jobs, family, etc. It’s a neat way to stay in touch, although I guess some of the personal one-on-one interaction is lost.
Another great piece from Emil. Thanks!
I have not been that interested in reconnecting with high school classmates – not interested enough to go to reunions, anyway. It is interesting to connect on Facebook and get a glimpse into their lives. It almost makes me a little wistful, though – youth is wasted on the young, eh?
This was a great story. I had tried posting a comment a day or two ago, but it didn’t go through. Let’s see if I have better luck today!I think as we get older reunions are even more special, there aren’t too many people that can share the memories we have, and some school memories and memories from our youth are very special. A lot of those moments are the moments that have helped to shape our lives. And our children and grandchildren, and many times even our spouses can’t share in those memories. Sometimes there is only that special group that we can bond with over a memory.My Aunt who is now 93 used to get together with a group of women that she was in the Girl Scouts with, this group had been together since they were all ten years old. Many of them have passed on now and my Aunt says it’s sad not having people around you that can share your memories, she said it gets harder and harder to be the only one that remembers some things.So I do think it’s important to keep in contact with those from our past.Thanks for sharing this. I loved it!
I am so glad to be reading some more of your writing. I think it’s remarkable that you and your former classmates are still close. I graduated with a class of 27-30 people and most of us scattered to the wind. There were still some that stayed in touch, but in the last ten years it’s been scarce. There was only one reunion of my class and it was combined with yet another class so there would be enough people. I didn’t go though. It has been so long that I really wouldn’t care to reconnect except with a couple to see if life has been good to them. I don’t do facebook or anything because I don’t want to reconnect w/all of them.
I enjoyed the poem. It reminds me of my uncles who I never knew if they were telling a tale or the truth.