Jessie Anne sent me a packet of the stuff from our 40th Reunion. Among the items was a "poem" written by Janith Sue Rowe (now just Sue) Moore. It's too good not to share. Make sure you read to the end.
I'll publish it a (high school) year at a time.
FRESHMANIA
My thoughts drifted immediately to that first day in 1957
when we enrolled
Thirteen/Fourteen, scared, signing up for classes,
and doing as we were told.
That freshman year would be a challenge for sure;
A challenge that some of us would not endure.
There were some tough lessons to be learned from the start:
When Mrs. Chambers told me I couldn't sing or be part
of the choir, it nearly broke my heart.
Then there were a few of us girls, who signed up for gym class
with Coach Lucia,
Who expected all of us to be athletic just like the boys, be good sports, and learn all sorts of physical and healthful minutiae.
From dodge ball, to basketball, to volley ball to softball,
seemed we tried a new sport every day,
I learned quickly after a lot of bumps and bruises
that athletic prowess was not my forte.
Some of us DID catch a break, signing up for algebra with
Mrs. Chapman was our lucky day . . .
But somehow she always wanted those exercises solved her way.
Perhaps my greatest lesson that first year wasn't in an actual class,
but was nevertheless a lasting one,
And it came during my study hall with Mrs. Jackson.
On a trip to the library, I was easily steered astray
By a senior guy, who was waiting
in the old cloak room along the way.
He pulled me inside and kissed me on the mouth
right then and there,
Which caused me to have a teenager's
worst nightmare!
You see, I thought he'd made me pregnant
by that little act,
And I had to wait till my next cycle to know
that my virginity was intact.
Armed with these pearls of wisdom,
I was ready to proceed:
I couldn't sing, was no athlete, and kissing didn't make babies,
all good lessons I'd surely need.
Here's a picture from our first reunion. I think it was our 25th, but other folks say it was our 20th.
