I just a moment ago finished a letter to our classmates of the AHS Class of 1949. It was only a letter telling them we were 60 years from the year we graduated and we were planning a small gathering following the annual 4th of July Banquet.

Nearly at the end of the letter I said something like, “ I look forward to seeing each of you’ and then for some reason I added, “ and there are a lot more I would like to see again, but I won’t, perhaps another place, another time”, and I wrote on.

In a moment I read the letter aloud to Pearl and the tears came, and the memories of all the dear friends came rolling in. Jimmy, and Cody and Herman and Wonk and Mary Lib and Jr., and Larry. Andy and Emmett, Georgia, my buddies Cisco & Charlie Shires and all the goofy boys and girls who were going to live forever. It doesn’t happen that way, does it?

I see the rest of you occasionally, and the girls look pretty good to me, the guys don’t seem to get any uglier and it’s good to see them all.

To get a hug and an occasional pat on the rear end that always brings back sweet memories of places we had little business being and things we had even less business doing, things that have always been part of the process of growing up. Dear wonderful parts of a dear wonderful time in our life!

I expect each Class could reflect on almost the very same sorts of things, how lucky we were and still are to be from this wonderful place!