The Leto High Class of 1971

In a previous post, "Thomas Wolfe was Right", I ranted about my experiences at a recent Leto High Class of 1971 reunion. The worst part of the reunion was that there weren't that many people from "my crowd" at the reunion. There were 714 people who graduated on that June day in 1971. We had about 80 grads at the reunion last fall. Before you start blaming COVID for the attendance, it was a bigger crowd than were at the other two reunions that I have attended. 

Why don't people attend these events? Locals don't attend because it costs too much. They can meet friends at McDonalds for a few bucks and talk. Why pay $95 for a buffet dinner? Can we have a cheaper reunion?

People who have left the area are often unaware of the reunion plans. Our class had everything on their Facebook page. After years on Facebook, my opinion is that Facebook is some kind of arm of the Anti-Christ, and I have chosen to stop participating. So, my info came from acquaintances still on Facebook who told me about the reunion. In the Information Age, there has to be a better plan than relying on Facebook.

I have already voiced my opinions on old white folks dancing the night away, but there is more. Instead of bad music and even worse dance moves, why not just have each graduate stand up and tell us something about their lives? Give each person a minute to speak about their lives. Here's an example.

"My name is Gilbert Jones. I used to be short and skinny. Now I am taller and bigger, I may even be fat. I should mention that I am bald, but that is obvious to even the slow among you.  I have been married more than forty years to a beautiful woman. We have two great sons. We live in God's country. That's North Carolina for those of you who don't know. I spent my life in the restaurant business trying to help customers to get fed and help employees get through their lives. I study history. I sell stuff. I am so conservative that it should scare you that I am here. I write a blog where I say stuff about you that you will never read. I can give you my email address and/or phone number but most of you will never contact me anyway. The good news for you is that my minute is up."

I just timed myself reading that and it was about 40 seconds. I had time left for a couple of off the cuff insults. That has to be better than watching half-lit 68 year olds trying to bring back disco.

To sum it up, my biggest disappointment at our reunion was that most of the people I had hoped to see weren't there. If you read this and think that you are one of those people, leave a comment with your contact info. I won't post the comment, but I will contact you.

Here are a few folks who I would like to hear from. Terry Rubio Fernandez, she was actually at the Friday night social, and I didn't see her. Terry Rubio was the Sweetheart of Pierce Junior High. Mike Namey, I lived down Burke Street from you. John Paul Jones, you had that Studebaker in our senior year. Dennis Barry, I haven't seen you since graduation day. Dennis was the president of the Leo Club, the only group I ever joined at school. Joe Hoffman, you are the only guy on out class memory list with a note that you are not dead. Ernie Hunt, you were a year behind us, but you were in an engineering concepts class with me. I remember you laughing at my entry in the bridge building contest. Delores Norred, you were a cheerleader at Pierce. You were also the first girl I ever danced with. I am sure you have forgotten but it was at our ninth-grade prom. Terry Prosser, I haven't seen you since the ninth grade. Pamela Carpenter, my rival know-it-all in American History and PAD class. Cathy Claytor, the Pride of Drew Park, who used to come in the Waffle House sometimes. Barbara Moncus, who I haven't seen since the end of ninth grade at Pierce. And just a few others like Maria Moura, Tracy Broadbent, the Murphy brothers, Walter and Randy, Gordon Brown, and Jim Looker.

This post ends my high school reunion series for at least the next five years. Thanks!