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CLASS of 1963 REUNION October 3-4,2003
[Webmaster's
Note: Danny Greenwood sent his reflections on the past forty years, posted
here for his classmates to read.]
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Forty Year
Reflections
Time, I have come to realize, is a strange commodity. At it’s best it is your friend, especially when you are trying to forget something, or buying a car; but it is a cruel enemy when it comes to playing out life’s drama.
My graduating class (1963), will be celebrating our fortieth anniversary in October. FORTY YEARS! FORTY YEARS! THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! Unfortunately, it is possible. It only seems like a few months ago, but it is a fact. I realize now that time is really your enemy. This is because when you are just beginning to figure life out. The reality comes to you that you are actually on the downside of life’s promised four score and ten.
My reflections, stimulated by this approaching anniversary, have gravitated towards the recollection of pleasant memories and what have we (I) done towards fulfilling our life’s destiny. I have paused to ask: “What have we done to accomplish our bright promise?” We stalwarts of 1963, have we “been all that we can be”?
In 1963, we were matriculating seniors of Big Spring High School, we were still a fairly innocent flock. We were full of promise and high aspiration’s, we were not ready for our impending “future shock”.
We accepted our diplomas happily, but with mixed emotions and separate dreams; some practical, some grandiose, but none of us expected anything but success it seems.
Our innocent mode was quickly shattered by a foreign conflict that nobody wanted, and the death of a national leader, for which our country is still haunted. Despite this major disaster, we continued with our life’s paths, and we learned to cope in time, as is our destiny.
The decade played itself out with even more tragedy and war, and our graduation was fast becoming a faded memory. In the meantime, we went to school, we went to that war, we got married, we began our families, we pursued our goals we followed our dreams. Some of us failed to return, and we mourn for you. Your life’s drama come to an end much to soon, again, time was an enemy, not a friend.
The next ten years, the 70’s, did indeed pass fast, and we of ’63 got together in ’73,to see what and how well we had done with our destiny’s. We told stories, swapped “lies”, and told of our offspring, bragged about our budding careers, and mourned the ones that we had lost. We were seniors in high school once more, and we parted as friends, again.
We people of ‘63 departed from this gathering to continue in this new decade, the remainder yet to unfold, the remaining dreams and goals that we still needed to pursue as gold.
The ten -year interlude was quick in coming, but this decade was filled with renewed vigor and was approached with a more practical view of what life had in store, and what need to be pursued, and what myths we could exclude. We continued our lives. We were unimpeded. Our life styles took shape, we chased dreams, time, could not wait.
This second decade, since our matriculation, came and went with alacrity and precision. The suddenness, and it’s seeming unreality, showed up once again, and demonstrated to us, once again that, time is still an enemy, not a friend. I t was time for number twenty we people of ’63.
Our twenty-year reunion was a special event. The time we were together, and it was well remembered by all, that were there, that special time in October of ’83.
This reunion of our family of’63, was magical and special to one and all ,and we had a glorious time, it was filled with laughter, smiles, hugs, good times, tears, recollections (both good and bad) and a special to honor those of us that had already heeded heaven’s call. We are sure that those friends of ours that have already met their fate, will be waiting for us at heaven’s gate.
The glorious time that fall went into history, as things tend to do, and we all departed to our homes, with our spirits all anew. We were set to face the third decade of our adventure, wiser and more mature.
Our third decade came and went quickly and without much adieu. This decade was one of having to deal with the challenge of transition. We were changing our life’s perspectives, altering our objectives, and altering the things that we needed to do.
Our generation was changing, but our nation was too, we had challenges all anew. We had new devils we had to face and it was all that we could do. WE had to meet these challenges and beat back these foes, so we could remain true to our goals. We met these challenges and accomplished these tasks, just in time for number thirty that at arrived at last.
Our number “30”, was indeed special. We celebrated it early, in fact, with our classmates from ’61 and’62. We of this group, all share a special bond, we are the last of the “baby boomers” to finish high school, in our fair city. We are, also, the last group to have attended both Runnels and Goliad Junior High Schools.
This mutual sharing of time was one of those rare occasions when time was a friend, not a foe. WE of the ‘61-‘63, had a memorable time indeed. We shared more than just our victories and defeats, we shared our joint memory’s of ‘sock hops,” “Elvis”, “THE BEATLES”, beach movies, ‘The Beach Boys’, the ‘The Big M”, “dragging main”, Buddy Holley, Bo Dylan, Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Frankie and Annette, Bobby Darin, and Sandra Dee.
This time together was used as well to recall, with fondness, the things we knew and used to dwell. Things such as the Jet Drive-in, Johnny Cash songs, ’The Andy Griffith Show’, ‘The Twist’, Mr. Burns English Class, Mr. Rains World History class, baseball, football, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, “Rock and Roll”, The Dallas Cowboys, and Jerry Lee.
Before we parted, we took time to remember those of our number, that we had lost and to think of our heroes of the times, such as John Wayne, and John Glenn, and John Kennedy. They were our heroes then, as well as now.
We all wanted this time to last, but again, time made it’s usual unwanted incursion. We had to end our fun-filled excursion. We had to remember the past and go on with our lives that fall, we returned with fond memories and a renewed purpose, one and all.
We of the class of 1963,we were not content with this event, we got together in 1993 to celebrate our actual thirtieth anniversary. This was a well attended event an we had fun an we ate at the Spanish Inn, but before this occasion, “How could we possibly forget the parade?” The downtown prarade, before we were set to begin?
The parade when we were all on the float in our black tee shirts and expressing opinions on the way, as if they were facts. The only thing wrong was the October heat, and boy was it felt. That night, for fun, we went to see the Steers, and they won, which was a lot more fun than trying to melt.
Our nation was (and is) changing and we were facing challenges all new, as we returned to our lives, once again. We began our march towards number forty, with more of a purpose, then when we first started.
The kaleidoscope of time changed its’ hues and we of ’63 have started our fourth decade of our dreams pursuit. How many of us, in our class of promise can say we haven’t made, at least a small difference in the world some way? We may not have changed the World, to a point it can be felt, but we have all played a part. We have used the cards that we were delt, to change a world that needed our help.
This fourth decade of our mission was one of more change and transition. We had another war we fought, we endured the horror of 9/11, the tragedies of the Columbia and the Challenger, an election fiasco, the passing of numerous of our childhood legends, the reluctant confrontation with our own mortality, the growth of our grandchildren, the Internet, and the decline in morality.
As we begin the fifth decade of our life’s journey, let us continue to play our cards and do our parts’ because we still have our life’s hands to play, before we say, “Good Day”. We can still make a difference, it does not matter what anyone might say.
We still need to pause and appreciate the complexity of life’s inexorable parade. We need to reflect on our victories, our defeats, our joys, the miracle or birth, being a parent, being a grandparent, having one close friend, doing our life’s calling, and the jobs we did.
What do you say? We stalwarts of 1963, let’s band together on this occasion to say, ”thanks” TO OUR PARENTS, OUR TEACHERS, our predecessors, our friends, our preachers, our guidance counselors, and anyone we respect, for the jobs they did raising us to a level of a positive sect. You all served us well! We need to unify for now and beyond; for it will not be long before our own life’s saga will come to and end, and our new journey begins.
Our only wish is that the next group of leaders and students will look back and see us and our legacy, and will, hopefully, be at least somewhat impressed; not just another class that is part of history.
Now
our family of ’63 we are indeed as one, and an truthfully
we can say: ”KEEP US ALL AS ONE FOR YEARS TO COME, DEAR OLD BIG SPRING
HIGH”.
D.W.Greenwood