Fifty years ago and a convertible…

It was a beautiful day in Memphis…May 1963. We had just graduated from high school, and from the smiles on our faces, we were happy about that. We all piled into this Morris Minor convertible and someone snapped the photo…magically capturing a moment in time.

There were applications for college or other plans for futures already set in place. There were over 200 of us in that graduating class. I made it to the 10th and 20th KHS reunions, but most of my classmates I would never see again. I wasn’t aware of that sad fact on this happy day above.

Fifty years ago there were no computers as we know today, no internet, no email and most of us didn’t have automobiles. We used the telephone to call one another as soon as we walked home from school to talk about our day. Nevermind, we had just seen one another an hour or so before. We were all great students with good grades. We were in the Honor Society, Student Council, Talon yearbook staff and different other extracurricular activities. We did a lot of things as groups – like roller skating on Friday nights. We all loved roller skating! I can still remember the thrill of skating fast in the roller rink to the sounds of the 50’s and 60’s rock and roll! I loved skating backwards. I would love to try roller skating again with my grandchildren…but somehow, fifty years later, I’m afraid I’d break a hip!

Most of our mothers sewed our clothes and we all had great wardrobes. To school we wore saddle oxfords and penny loafers (usually with white socks) or flats. On Sundays, we wore “high heels” with hosiery. By the time we were in college, the heels were really high and were called “spikes”! Not as high as the platform “stilletos” today but definitely high heels. Oh funny things, memories…

I saw this photo for the first time yesterday on Facebook (shared by a friend in my KHS class and used with her permission). The memories came flooding in. You may think you have forgotten something but you haven’t. Those memories are still there…just layered over with years and years of other memories in time.

In case you can’t tell which one I am in the photos. In the automobile, I’m the one standing up. Photo below: second from right. 😉

Remember the old Jim Croce song, “Time in a Bottle”? Time is flying by. I see the changes in my children, my grandchildren and especially myself. I didn’t expect to stay young forever and, truthfully – in my heart and mind – I still feel like the young woman my daughter is today. Too bad the rest of my BODY didn’t get the memo! 😉

In a couple of months, my high school graduating class will celebrate our FIFTIETH high school reunion. Unfortunately, I will miss it. I have a hard time believing that FIFTY years have passed since I graduated from high school. It seems like last week! I think I can explain that rationale. After six decades and a few years, our long term memory is actually better than our short term memory! Go figure.

In the spirit of nostalgia, I’ll share a few photos from yesterday – uh, I mean yesteryear…

My first two children (fifteen and a half months apart) and I were out shopping one day. Here, they were about two and a half and four years of age. I decided to snap some photos of them in a Photomat. I love their expressions! Priceless photos and memories.

They’re all grown up now. He’s a physician, happily married and the father of three daughters. He was a missionary doctor in Peru for almost 7 years but thankfully they’re back in the states now. She’s happily married and the mom of two sons and two daughters. She has a degree in fine art and is a wonderful artist but has little time to paint between homeschooling and managing everyone’s busy schedule!

Where did all that time go?

I love this photo. This is my youngest with his beautiful strawberry blonde hair. We had been camping in the Great Smokey Mountains that week. Here, he was walking across a beam that was about two feet above the ground…that’s a lot when you’re barely three years old. What you can’t see in the photo is that his dad and brother and sister were cheering him across.

He’s all grown up now. Happily married and the father of a beautiful 18 month old baby girl (and they’re expecting their second late summer). He has always been an entertainer…for as long as I can remember. Now, he’s the executive producer of a successful television show.

Where did all that time go?

In the three photos below, my sisters and I were having our usual “four sisters” photo taken at one of our gatherings. The first photo was taken about 1961. The other two in the mid-1980’s. As always, there was plenty of kidding as we lined up. The lower two priceless photos were taken at my late sister Gerry’s house on the hill. Sadly, two of my sisters are now in Heaven.

Where did all that time go?

Parts of this post were originally published in My Southern Heart…