Tag: 50 years

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Also celebrating 50 years

I’ve happened upon the PS22 Chorus a few times before, but today I saw a couple of videos that really touched my heart.

The first was their end-of-year send-off/graduation song to Taylor Swift’s, “Long Live.” Seeing these young people so connected — to the music, to one another — and feeling it all so deeply…well, it just moves me to tears.

Then I stumbled on the video where their teacher surprises his parents with their special song on their 50th anniversary. So sweet!

But one comment on the video really stood out for me:

“This video is proof positive that songs are timeless, ageless, and can make you smile and cry at the same time! PS22–thank you for joyously opening this musical time capsule from 1974 and creating a happily ever after moment for this beautiful couple! Happy Anniversary!”

What stopped me in my tracks was… “musical time capsule from 1974!” Hahaha! I was assuming his parents were “old,” only to realize that they got married the year I graduated high school.

I guess I’ll never get used to “being my age!” 🤩

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The Patriots gather again

Well, it’s finally here…the 50th high school reunion of the Milpitas High School Patriots!

The photo below shows half of the turnout from my 20–year reunion. My primary memory of that night was the difficulty I felt in trying to reconcile how not old I felt with the fact that so many years had already passed.

I was living in Switzerland in 2004, so there was no question of attending the 30-year reunion.

Which brings me to now…and the fact that tomorrow I drive down to Milpitas to connect and celebrate this interesting landmark with my former classmates.

What a trip.

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Remembering when

Looking at this photo feels like a glimpse into another lifetime.

So, yeah… 50 year high school reunion is almost here!

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Friends since 1968

Had dinner tonight with my friend, Eileen, who I’ve known since junior high school.

I believe we first met in Miss Jewett’s music appreciation class (where I learned that “Mozart” is spelled with only one “t”). We were in many other classes together as well, particularly band (she played French horn).

As I started to write this I realized that we met in 1968. Amazing!

It was a crazy time but we were too young to really comprehend all the big changes that were going on around us. Riots in Berkeley and SF State University were something one saw on the news. The Summer of Love meant T-shirts with hearts and stylized daisies. Oh, and incense purchased on a field trip to San Francisco!

We were young and innocent in a way that really wouldn’t be possible today. We went to school; worried about whether boys would ever like us; and got good grades.

The only way to see a movie was in the theater. Phones stayed at home, connected to the wall by cords. We used encyclopedias for research; checked out books from the library; and wrote everything longhand.

We also thought the whole “drug” thing was greatly exaggerated. After all, we never saw any drugs.

And now — all of a sudden, it seems — we’re discussing whether to go to our 50th high school reunion. How is that even possible? 🤷‍♀️