Memory Page
Please continue to send in your MEMORY PAGE we still have a little time to publish them.
The reservations are coming in faster then we can post them, this is going to be quite the party.
What do you think our Theme Song should be??
I think:
The Way we Were:
Memories, like the corners of my mind,
misty water color memories.. of the way we were...
Scattered pictures...
of the smiles we left behind...
Smiles we gave to one another..
For the way we were.
I know, pretty sappy, wouldn't you say?
Beth
posted by Beth @ 5:56 PM
18 Comments:
School's Out by Alice Cooper
Good one Jerry, why didn't I think of that??
Beth
Laurie Cuprinski thinks our theme song should be.....
I Get by with a Little Help from my Friends
Any other idea's
Hey Eva Claypool you're the song master what do you think???
Beth
Depends on the individual. If any of you ended up taking the low road and aren't answering the reunion committe because you are in the pokey, maybe AC/DC's "Highway To Hell?"
If you are coming out to rekindle an old flame, how about ABBA's "Take a Chance On Me?" Here's a line: "If you changed your mind, I'm the first in line, honey I'm still free, take a chance on me."
Have any of you reached the pinnacle of success, now basking in early retirement? Then John Lennon's "Watching the Wheels" comes to mind. "Surely you're not happy now, you no longer play the game. People say I'm lazy, dreaming my life away. Well, they give me all kinds of advice, designed to enlighten me. Well, I tell them I'm doing fine watching shadows on the wall. Don't you miss the big time, boy, you're no longer on the ball."
If life has dealt you that perfect hand that moves you to marvel at the beauty of creation each day, Louis Armstrong's classic, "What a Wonderful World" is unmatchable. "I see trees of green, red roses, too. I see them bloom, for me and you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
Have any of you married a classmate? Your love--after all of these years--is "Evergreen," as per the lyrics in Barbra Streisand's beautiful tune. "Love, ageless and evergreen, seldom seen by two."
Still hangin' in there with a few of your old school buds? "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King fits this bill.
Speaking of standing, I was part of several reunion committees and I have to tell you that it really doesn't matter HOW MANY PEOPLE SHOW UP. Know that the ones who DO show up WANT to be there and that their recollections of the joys of shared youth is as strong as yours, and they want to be with YOU! So let the DJ spin, "United We Stand" by the Brotherhood of Man.
And, lastly, I haven't seen "my first kids" in so long that you've gone from fledgling teenagers to 50-year-olds. Brings to my mind your innocence, your pure and smiling faces. The goodness of youth. On that "note" I defer to the classic tune--which by the way was in the great teacher flick, "Mr. Holland's Opus"--"Someone To Watch Over Me." I'd like to think that we were watching over each other, or in today's jargon, watching each other's backs. "I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood, I know I could, always be good, to one who'll watch over me."
OK, now dry those eyes and go rent "Mr. Holland's Opus" BEFORE the reunion. If you never saw this movie, you are missing out on a fine depiction of the pleasures and pain of forming relationships during school years, only to emerge triumphant!
Peace to all of my little lambs,
Ted Zagar
Mr Zagar,
I so much look forward to your posts on this blog. I also catch your articles in the Times every now and then. You were the first and only coolest teacher I ever had. When my son became a teacher I told him about you and how your methods of teaching made things a lot more interesting while attending a catholic school.
(Mr. Vlasic was cool too but he swatted me with the board of education).
I also like the song United We Stand....
I hope you can make the reunion!
Your right Mr. Zagar, Mr Hollands Opus is a fantastic movie and you did bring tears to my eyes. Or am I just emotional today.
As Debbie said, I think we all look forward to reading your logic and putting things in perspective.
Mr. Vlasic has a way of doing that also.
Hummm, I wonder if all teachers know how to touch a student in mind and spirit.
I certainly don't recall any others that did that for me.
Hey Chris, Your a teacher, are you molding your students minds??
Mr.Zagar, I love all the songs you mentioned, we'll be sure to play them in your honor at the reunion.
Beth
Ted, that was so wonderful and thoughtful about all the theme choices...I really think we'll all be cry babies in the end...happy tears forming around all the wonderful stories and memories and friendships..ya know age makes one so much more sentimental and tender...maybe it's a good thing...sometimes when we're young we're so afraid to let our guards down...I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone...:)
I've been reading so many comments, memories etc. Left a few messages that don't ever seem to post. Times running out so I think instead of trying to get my memory page posted along with my info, I;ll just e-mail it to Chris. Can't understand why it won't seem to work for me. Too bad Mark Kacmar doesn't live close to help me out like he's helped Beth. Maybe I should get one of my kids to take care of it. My son Tim especially is a wiz on the computer. See everyone soon! Kathy B.
Mr. Zagar (moody blues), I remember when you were trying to get a track team started. I tried out for track, standing long jump and relay I believe. Wanted so badly to go to the meets. But my Mom didn't have the time to let me, she had her hands full with all 6 of us Bryan's, my Dad worked in the mill and ran the Flower Shop, so she pretty much ran the house and what a wonderful job she did at that! It's wonderful reading everyones memory of you. I believe my sister Brenda called for your assistance with a pet or wild animal years ago. Not sure if you remember that? Kathy Bryan
Kathy,
Yes, I do remember helping Brenda, and with a Cancer (memory) rising in the east at birth, I even recall that she was wearing this cool Hawaiian shirt when I made the mercy call.
I believe that the issue was a next door neighbor--next door to your family florist shop on Ridge Road. Both your family and this guy had very long properties, that stretched north of Ridge. This guy apparently was using LIVE birds to train his dog(s) and your sister or someone else in the family was walking out back and saw the grisly proceedings.
Some people use inanimate "dummy" fetch devices to teach retrievers, but some people place a live bird in a type of wraparound thingie that has the birds head and back parts sticking out of the ends,
I was very touched by your sister's compassion, but then again I knew that the Bryan family--kids and parents--were cut from the same cloth and that any one of you could have summoned me to the scene of the crime.
I did my best to phone around and see what laws (besides nature's) were being broken, and my vague memory tells me that some proof needed to be had--like photographic or more than one witness.
The thing that impressed me about Brenda was that she even reported (to me, anyway) a next door neighbor. During my exploits as animal activist, it was very typical for people to be so freaked by mean neighbors--understandably--that they didn't want to get involved, but the craziness of living so close to repeated cruelty finally overwhelmed them.
I have 21 rescues that share my life at the moment, and many more who have come and gone. Not a few were placed in my arms by Providence and the calls that I responded to like Brenda's. I only hope that the birds were spared some horor by my actions, pitifully inadequate that they were.
I have so many animal stories--I have seen such horror, even locally--that sometimes I have to just shut it out of my mind.
On a side note, this past week 4 people were killed in a 3-way car accident in Merrillville, and one was an attorney for a Gary fireman who was convicted of dog fighting. It was ironic to me that this happened the evening that the newspapers reported the outcome, ending with the lawyer stating that he might appeal the case. The irony here is that the driver who caused the accident by racing through an intersection and ignoring traffic signs had been "trapped and released" twice before by his inebriated state, and given guilty sentences to lesser charges, no doubt with the machinations of the legal system, including some lawyer or two seeking to get the guy off or partly off.
I guess the only other irony that could top this is if the guy also ran cock fighting matches. Imagine, an attorney who MIGHT have gotten a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card for some lush behind the wheel (specualtion on my part) but who REALLY DID seek to get a despicable animal abuser off the hook (reality) taken out of the game by a drunk driver who was operating a vehicle on a suspended license! Boggles the mind!
Tell your sister and Loretta and your folks a big hello from an admiring teacher and friend.
Ted Zagar
How about "My Old School" by Steely Dan?
Oh Debbie, don't get to sentimental on us now....
I have to admit that Mr. Zagars song list did hit a cord with me as well.
Just from our brief moment at dinner with the girls recently made me think of the moments we will share with many the weekend of the reunion.
Smile everyone it won't be long now.
Beth
Beth,
Counting down to see you all. Wish I could get my info to you or Chris in time for printing. It's great flashbacking. See you soon. Kathy
Beth here's a trivia question for you. End of school year trip to Enchanted Forest, year 1971, Tilt-a Whirl, how many people did we fit into one car, who got sick and who cried? and can you name the couples? And what about that spook house?
Oh Blanche, I forgot about Enchanted Forest.
Let's see, couples:
After you said you were not with Mark at that time I started thinking and I think you were with Jeff White. Am I right? I was with Brian, Toni with Zak,I think Cherly was with Carl Gora,was Jeff Ward with Ruth Westforth at that time???
Well I know it wasn't me that threw up, that was my favorite ride. I think we were able to fit 8, my were we skinny then...I'm sure the legal number was 4.
My memory is failing me how sad is that.
Did Brian throw up or was it Botsko?
And Blanche I think you were crying but I can't remember why. Or maybe it was me because Brian wanted to break up with me again, boo hoo Ha!
Spook house which I now refer to now as the make out house.
Did I play spin the bottle with your class also????
Geesh!!!!Apparently I was a kissing fool, surprised I didn't get mono.
So fill in the blanks Blanche, this is to funny.
I am blaming fatigue on my memory, I was up until midnight last night with Chris working on the reunion.
I know, there are no babies in the wood...
Beth
Beth,
I don't have complete recall of the couples, Cheryl probably would do better with this than I. What I do remember is Me & Jeff Kopil, You & Brian, Mark & Dot V., I would have put Cheryl with Zak B. but you could be right about Carl Gora. And yes we definetly exceeded the limit and that car did nothing but spin. Mark argued with Dot before going on the ride and warned her that he didn't do very well on rides that spinned. She begged him, he gave in and we all crammed into one car. Sure enough as we were exiting the ride, most of us were already completely off the ride, Mark was still on the platform hanging on to a pole, green and throwing up, Dot was crying. I'm not sure what the rest of us were doing but as I recall the event now I get a big chuckle out of it.
Blanche you are so right.. I was going to write Kopil but I did know it was a Jeff.
Dot stayed at my house the night before Enchanted Forest and we talked about the boys all night long.
I now have a clear memory of everything including Mark holding onto the pole and hurling.
I also remember Brian laughing uncontrollably. Some friend... I felt so bad for Mark and ran to the rest room and got some paper towels and when I came back everyone was gone. Ya you ditched me....
I think Mark and Dot broke up that following week, or did she leave the school after that? She didn't graduate with us.
I do remember her crying but it wasn't because Mark got sick it was because he threw up on her and ruined the new outfit she bought just for the big day.
I don't know how I could have forgotten this, it is so clear to me now.
Beth
Blanche, I'm sure Cheryl was with Carl because she was always screaming at him to stop.... He would put her in wrestling holds on the bus until she would say uncle.
I totally forgot about Dot and Mark.
Funny....
Good to see Mark on the blog, maybe he'll stir up some trouble, I mean interest.
Beth
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