The Class Reunion
Every ten years, as summertime nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
"A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail."
I'll never forget the first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress. We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.
It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined,
And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed about who had been first
To achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
And how beautiful their children became.
The homecoming queen, who once had been lean,
Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.
No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.
The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Just shows you can be wrong now and then.
They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven
The farthest to attend the feast.
They took a class picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.
At our next get-together, no one cared whether
They impressed their classmates or not.
The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot. (not smoking it!)
It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;
We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans.
Then most of us lay around in the shade,
In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.
By the fifth year, it was abundantly clear,
We were definitely over the hill.
Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed,
And be home in time for their pill.
And now I can't wait; they've set the date;
Our sixtieth is coming, I'm told.
It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the Shady Rest Home for the old.
Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;
My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
My wheelchair is oiled,
and my teeth have been boiled; And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.
I'm feeling quite hearty,
and I'm ready to party;
I'm gonna dance 'til dawn's early light.
It'll be lots of fun; I just hope that there's one
Other person who can make it that night.
"Ode to the Class of 1963"
BACK IN NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE, WE WALKED OUT THE DOORS OF MASHS WONDERING “WHAT WILL I BE”?
SOME WENT ON TO PURSUE A TRADE, OTHERS FOLLOWED COLLEGE PLANS THEY HAD MADE.
AS FOR ME – WHAT WAS MY FUTURE GOING TO BE?
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SHARON, I WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE IT THROUGH MATH. SO I GUESSED I WOULD NOT FOLLOW THAT PATH!
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND MR. CROP WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE ME A MATHEMATICS FLOP!!
I SO LOVED MR. MCKILLOP AND P.O.D., BUT SOMEHOW I KNEW POLITICS WAS JUST NOT FOR ME.
I OFTEN WANDERED DOWN CORRIDOR A AS I KNEW THAT WAS WHERE DEE DEE WOULD LOVE TO SPEND HER DAY.
I ADMIRED HER BEAUTIFUL ART, BUT MY PAINT BRUSH WAS JUST NOT VERY SMART.
AND I WELL REMEMBER WALKING INTO MY ENGLISH CLASS, FINDING ON EACH DESK A SINGLE PAPER CLIP.
THE ASSIGNMENT WAS TO WRITE A PARAGRAPH DESCRIBING THE PAPER CLIP.
WELL, I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER EXPLAINING HOW TO DO A BACK FLIP!
I DID HAVE FUN WITH MANY OF THE BOYS.
I WELL REMEMBER MY DATE WITH NICK TO THE AUTUMN BALL, HOWEVER THAT ROMANCE DID NOT LAST LONG AT ALL.
BUT ----- I DID FIND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE
----- A YOUNGER MAN, AND FOR 45 YEARS HE HAS BEEN MY BIGGEST FAN.
I DID GO TO COLLEGE AND FINALLY KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO BE
– I WAS MOST HAPPY BEING WITH CHILDREN AND SEEING THEM SMILE.
TEACHING BECAME MY CAREER FOR A SHORT WHILE.
HOWEVER, HAVING CHILDREN OF MY OWN WAS MY GREATEST DESIRE,
AND WHEN THAT DAY CAME MY HEART WAS ON FIRE.
AND NOW THAT I AM A GRAMMA OF SEVEN,
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN.
TODAY MY TIME IS SPENT AS A VOLUNTEER,
BUT THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO GO TO A DANCE RECITAL OR SPORTING EVENT AND YELL OUT A GREAT BIG CHEER.
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS I NOW KNOW WHAT I REALLY WANT TO BE, AND THAT IS JUST TO BE ME.
ALL OF US HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MOVING ON IN OUR OWN WAY
---------- SO LET US CELEBRATE THIS VERY SPECIAL DAY!
HERE IS TO THE CLASS OF 1963!
KATHY FRISK CRISPIN
MEADVILLE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1963
AUGUST 3, 2013
Thought this would bring a chuckle
CLASS REUNION
written by Elizabeth Lucas
It was my class reunion, and all through the house, To say I looked great, that my chin wasn't double,
And he lied through false teeth, just to stay out of trouble.
Said that 'neath my thick glasses, my eyes hadn't changed,
And I had the same figure, it was just a mite rearranged.
He said my skin was still silky, although looser in drape,
Not so much like smooth satin, but more like silk crepe.
I swallowed his words hook, sinker and line
And entered the banquet feeling just fine.
Somehow I'd expected my classmates to stay
As young as they were on that long-ago day
We'd hugged farewell hugs. But like me, through the years,
They'd added gray to their hair, or pounds to their rears.
But as we shared a few memories and retold some class jokes,
We were eighteen in spirit, though we looked like our folks.
We turned up hearing aid volumes and dimmed down the light,
Rolled back the years, and were young for the night.
GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.
2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair..
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask a 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polk-a-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.
GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
5) Laughing is good exercise.. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.
GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.
THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.
SUCCESS:
At age 4 success is . . . . Not piddling in your pants.
At age 12 success is . . . Having friends.
At age 17 success is. . Having a driver's license.
At age 35 success is. .. . Having money.
At age 50 success is . . . Having money.
At age 70 success is . . . Having a driver's license.
At age 75 success is . .... Having friends.
At age 80 success is . . . Not piddling in your pants.
Always remember to forget the troubles that pass your way;
BUT NEVER forget the blessings that come each day.
Have a wonderful day with many! *smiles*
Take the time to live!!!
Life is too short.
Dance naked.. Woo-hoo!
A Small Prayer!
God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.
When there is nothing left but God that is when you find out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.
Father, God bless my friend in whatever it is that You know they may need this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity, and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you.
Amen
In God We Trust
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
40's, 50's and 60's!
First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered
with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.
We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar.
And, we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones, No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others
who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn't it?
Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following:
ABOUT GROWING OLDER...
1. Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.
2. The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
3. Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved.
4. When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
5. You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
6. I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
7. One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
8. Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
9. Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.
And finally…
10. If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.
If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model.
I've got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull, but that's not the worst of it.
My headlights are out of focus and it's especially hard to see things up close.
My traction is not as graceful as it once was.
I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather.
My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed.
My fuel burns inefficiently.
But here's the worst of it -
Almost every time I sneeze, cough, or sputter...either my radiator leaks or my exhaust backfires!
The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.
Old Age, I decided, is a gift.
I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometimes despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.
I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?
I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.
They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.
Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)
The Garbage Truck Rules
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood?
Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day?
Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she/he can get back her/his focus on what's important.
Five years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a taxi cab in Indianapolis. Here's what happened:
I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Indianapolis Airport. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accide nt, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly.
So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?
You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.
Doo-Wop Oldies Quiz
Welcome to "The Doo-Wop Oldies Quiz...
This for fun, see how much you remember?
Take the quiz and see how you score as a true "Oldies Fan".
Write down your answers and check them with the answers below.
1. When did "Little Suzie" finally wake up?
a) The movie's over, it's 2 o'clock
b) The movie's over, it's 3 o'clock
c) The movie's over, it's 4 o'clock
2. "Rock Around The Clock" was used in what movie?
a) Rebel Without A Cause
b) Blackboard Jungle ngle
c) The Wild Ones
3. What's missing?_____Baby,
a) Angel
b) Sweet
c) Love
4. "I found my thrill..." Where?
a) Kansas City
b) Heartbreak Hotel
c) Blueberry Hill
5. "Please turn on your magic beam, _____ _____ bring me a dream"
a) Mr Sandman
b) Earth Angel
c) Dream Lover
6. For which label did Elvis Presley first record?
a) Chancellor
b) RCA
c) Sun
7. H e asked, "Why's everybody always pickin' on me?" Who was he?
a) Bad Bad Leroy Brown
b) Charlie Brown
c) Buster Brown
8. Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife", the one with the knife, was named:
a) MacHeath
b) MacCloud
c) MacNamara
9. Name the song with "A-wop bop a-loo bop a-lop bam boom"?
a) Good Golly Miss Molly
b) Be-Bo p-A-Lula
c) Tutti Fruitti
10. Who is generally given credit for the term "Rock And Roll"?
a) Dick Clark
b) Wolfman Jack
c) Alan Freed
11. In 1957, he left the music business to become a preacher.
a) Little Richard
b) Frankie Lymon
c) Tony Orlando
12. Paul Anka's "Puppy Love" is written to what star?
a) Brenda Lee
b) Connie Francis
c) Annette Funicello
13. The Everly Brothers are...
a) Pete and Dick
b) Don and Phil
c) Bob and Bill
14. The Big Bopper's real name was:
a) Jiles P. Richardson
b) Roy Harold Scherer Jr.
c) Marion Michael Morrison
15. In 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. started a small record company called...
a) Decca
b) Cameo
c) Motown
16. Edd Brynes had a hit with "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb.".What TV show was he on?
a) 77 Sunset Strip
b) Hawaiian Eye
c) Surfside Six
17. In 1960 Bobby Darin married:
a) Carol Lynley
b) Sandra Dee
c) Natalie Wood
18. They were a one hit wonder with "Book Of Love."
a) The Penguins
b) The Monotones
c) The Moonglows
ANSWERS:
1. c) The movie's over, it's 4 o'clock
2. b) Blackboard Jungle
3. a) Angel
4. c) Blueberry Hill
5. a) Mr. Sandman
6. c) Sun
7. b) Charlie Brown
8. a) MacHeath
9. c) Tutti Fruitti
10. c) Alan Freed
11. a) Little Richard
12. c) Annette Funicello
13. b) Don and Phil
14. a) Jiles P. Richardson
15. c) Motown
16. a) 77 Sunset Strip
17. b) Sandra Dee
18. b) The Monotones