Post Graduation Day - 1964

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

June 2, 1964 is the date on my diploma from Lee. That was 61 years ago, and yet I still remember it. How do you feel when you look back on your last day of high school? Back then, did we ever think we would someday be attending graduation ceremonies for our grandkids? The clock keeps on ticking.

The last day at Lee High School was traumatic for me. It was a mixture of happiness and sadness. The photo above is a picture of the Bulova Caravelle watch I was given by Dianne Hughey, LHS '64, as a graduation present. I had met Dianne in the fourth grade at East Clinton Elementary School. The T.T.T. stood for T. Thomas Towery, the nickname Mrs. Parks gave me in the 9th grade. It was one of the best graduation presents I received, and I still have it, safely stored in my bedside table. I also received a nice wooden box of English Leather products, a combination graduation and going-away gift from Bob Walker, David France, and Lewis Brewer. 

Post-graduation was tough on me. Primarily because the day after graduation I packed up my earthly belongings and moved to Memphis. The reflections I shared in my journal were explained 25 years later in my book, "A Million Tomorrows...Memories of the Class of '64." I remind you again that some of the names were changed "to protect the innocent." Here is the text of those memories.

Tuesday, June 2, 1964

154th Day - 212 days to follow

Clear

Up at 9:00 A.M. today.  Did a lot of packing.  David brought me a gift from him, Bob, and Lewis.  It was a big box of English Leather.  Went back to the Times office then came home.  At 4:00 P.M. I took a nap.  Mother took some pictures of me in my cap and gown after we got back from taking some junk to the junk pile.

Janice picked me up at 7:15 P.M. and we went to the stadium.  The commencement exercises began at 8:00 P.M.  I got my diploma at 8:55 P.M.  There was a senior party at the armory at 11:00 P.M.  Janice, Bob, and I left - Michelle too - at 1:30 A.M.  Pu derebos meht teg ot gniog erew reven ew thguoht I.  Srevirdwercs no knurd teg did ecinaj dna ellehcim dna ni-evird 27 dniheb dekrap ew.

Took the girls to Janice's at 4:05 A.M.  Then Bob and I talked a while.  I got in at 4:30 A.M.

I guess I'm a man now.

Here are the reflections of that day, written 25 years later.

The fun and excitement of the evening had kept me from realizing that I was saying good-bye to Michelle and Janice.  Even though Michelle and I had been friends, we had never shared the deep relationship that existed between Janice and me.  I had never thought about how I would be able to say good-bye to Janice.  If I had not faded into the early morning darkness, leaving her standing giggling on her front porch, it would have been an emotional good-bye that would have been almost impossible for us to say.  I was spared from one of the hardest good-byes that I would have ever had to say.  I was then faced with the same problem with Bob.  The two of us who were such good friends, now had to say good-bye.  It was a true good-bye.  It was not a "See you tomorrow night," or "See you at school tomorrow."  We didn't know when we would ever see each other again.  It was good-bye.  I would leave in a few hours, with all my possessions.  Bob would remain behind for summer school.  He was unsure what would follow in his life.  

The sun was almost coming up as I started into my own home.  That was the last time that it would be "my" house.  Before the sun came up again, it would then and forever be "Grandmother's" house.  It was the dawn of a new day, a new today.   No one was waiting up for me.  I went straight to my room, my room for the last time.  Before I could go to bed, I had to enter the day into my journal.  I wrote into the journal that held my recordings of the day-to-day events that led to that moment.

In the short time it took for me to drop off to sleep, the words of the song I had shared with Michelle kept repeating themselves in my mind.  This was my day and this was my glory.  A million tomorrows would never take the joy of those times away from me.

With the final sentence of the night, the final entry on the page of the day, I accepted the end of my childhood.  "I guess I'm a man now."  It was as if by writing it, it would happen.  I accepted my fate.  I would now put aside my childhood things.  I didn't know what lay ahead for me, but I did know that the song was right.  I couldn't "be contented with yesterday's glory."  There were other challenges, other things in life to experience, other glories.  I would see and do things that I never imagined that early morning as I went to bed.  But, in all the future glories and all the future disappointments, one thing would hold true.  I would still always remember:

A million tomorrows

Shall all pass away,

Ere I forget

All the joy

That is mine,

Today.

Today is my moment and now is my story ....

The Wayback Machine

"Today"

The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including "Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Today", "Denver" and "This Land Is Your Land". The group's 1962 debut album, Presenting the New Christy Minstrels, won a Grammy Award and remained on the Billboard 200 albums chart for two years

In 1963, Sparks was contracted to create a film score for Advance to the Rear, featuring Glenn Ford and Stella Stevens. The soundtrack, performed by the New Christy Minstrels, was released in May 1964 as Today and Other Songs from 'Advance to the Rear'. It was the first complete soundtrack to be recorded in the folk music style. The score is notable for the hit standard "Today", which reached No. 4 on the Adult Contemporary Charts and No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart.

I'm going to ask - though I don't hold high expectations about getting any results. But I will still ask. Would any of you like to share your memories of the last day you spent in school, and what you did the night of your graduation that still remains in your memories?

Lincoln Village, Lincoln School Reunion

Andrea Roberson, Class of '66, wants to share this information with you.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, And Comments

Darla Gentry Steinberg, LHS ‘66, "I enjoyed the high school survey in the last issue. I found my high school experience to be fairly normal. I have always felt blessed to still have very close “besties” from decades ago. We live in different states but make plans to see each other as often as possible and communicate regularly. We have taken several vacation trips with each other. We have even taken 3 generation trips together with our grandkids and their moms. I was a bit surprised to see that actually 62% of folks have such long time friends. However, I feel our 65 or so years of friendship is special."