Class of 1973

Why yes, that was 40 years ago!
And yes, they DO have class reunions for people that old!
I recently attended MY 40th class reunion for North High School in Bakersfield, CA & I had a BLAST!

Thanks to Facebook, the committee invited every classmate they could find on FB to the event some 8 months ago.  I happened to commit to the event early on & helped (from afar) find classmates, posting my old school photos & encouraged others to do the same. From there, everyone started finding other classmates (not on FB) - adding them to the event, posting their old pictures & memories & the enthusiasm was contagious!  We had about 230 people there!  It was awesome!  The committee did an outstanding job & other classmates who were not in our graduating class were envious of us & the support we were able to drum up for the event.

I came to town a few days early to visit with my mom & help set-up for the event.  Here we are at a pre-reunion dinner.  The guy who owns this restaurant is a classmate of ours who graduated with my brother.

Me, Steve (our committee chairman) & Rosalyn

The night before the reunion, we met up with some other classmates who couldn't make it to the actual event for some more reunion fun.  I was so excited to see the Eliades family there!  Timmy graduated with my brother, Danny was a year ahead of me, their sister Jane, & Coach Turk (their dad) was the football coach FOREVER - since the school opened in 1953.  The football stadium is named Eliades Field.

Me, Ed & his beautiful wife Annie

I got to help set up for the event at Coconut Joe's with these awesome ladies - it looks like we coordinated our outfits...

Me, Pam, Deb, & Annie

Steve & family, Rodney (the photographer), Ed, Me, & Pam

Steve & Ed (committee chairs) & the rest of the committee.

I got to work the "sign in" table, passing out name tags & greeting people as they came in.  I love how they had our senior pictures on the name tags!  This was THE BEST JOB of the evening because I literally got to see everyone as they walked in the door.  They gave me this job because I was a cheerleader in high school & they thought that people would recognize/remember me & felt I would be a natural at greeting people with a smile & enthusiasm...stereotypical, typecast...Go STARS!  They also handed out T-shirts & took pictures as people came in.

My classmate, Rodney E Dixon, is a professional photographer & he took these (you can see his watermark).  The one I ordered hasn't come in yet & he is putting together a little "mini-yearbook" of all the peeps that attended including some candids that he took during the evening.

These memorial posters were posted on FB as a reminder of how precious life & friendships are.  When I first saw them, I was overwhelmed with sadness to learn of the death of so many childhood friends.  

The committee gathered TONS of prizes & gift certificates to give away throughout the evening...

I had the honors of welcoming everyone by saying a few words on behalf of the Class of '73 & giving away the first dozen or so prizes while calling all the table numbers up to the buffet line.  21 tables of 10 were full & there were a few dozen spilled over into the bar area as well...such a great turn out!

After I got a quick bite, I grabbed my camera for a few photos, but I was having so much fun visiting with everyone that I didn't take very many at all...

The only cheerleaders that made it...Pam, Vickie, Diana, & Me.

Me & Vic (along with Jen, who was at a wedding on the East Coast) spent A LOT of time together in HS.

Sylvia was a HS friend before she became my Sister-in-law & gave me 2 beautiful nieces, Carrie & Amber.

Me, Teddy, Judy, & Sylvia

Christy, Me, & Susan - beautiful Christian women who I adore!

Me, Laurie, & Vyn - we have known each other for 50 years - since 2nd grade!  Laurie was my neighbor growing up.

Paul & I left early so we could make it back to Coloma that evening.  We left everyone on the dance floor & clumped into groups, laughing & smiling & chatting & hugging...it was a wonderful sight to see.  High School can be a difficult time.  We are often given labels that identify us in certain ways...there are the athletes (jocks), the cheerleaders, the cowboys, the hippies, the brainiacs/nerds, & the list goes on!  No matter what label we were given in high school, the room was filled with happy faces, happy noise...amazing people...long lost friends so happy to see each other & re-connect.

It was literally a BLAST from the PAST!