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 A Christmas 2007 Message
to the Class
of '61
I was reading through the Holiday messages from last year, which our
Champion Web Master has listed on our Class Site, along with all
literary contributions that have been sent in since the site’s
inception, right after our 45th reunion, and was struck by how much my
three small grandchildren have changed in a year’s time. The
thought occurred to me that I wonder if I have changed that much
too?? Surely not!!!! But Father Time is a tricky old dog –
and can sneak up on us when we least expect it!!! Don’t we all
know!!!
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In
any case, another year has slipped by, and aside from wanting to
show all of you updated pictures of the kids, I thought I’d ramble a
bit (something I’m becoming better and better at as time goes by!) and
share my thoughts with you guys.
As part of an earlier letter about the new Franklin Community High
School, I had asked the question of “where and when” for the Franklin
High School prior to ours. I haven’t seen any takers from anyone
in our class, but my cousin Betsy Anderson (who I had sent a copy of
the letter, along with our website address) responded that she didn’t
know the DATE, but she was pretty sure the PLACE was the old Boy’s Club
(to us). That sounds right, but I wonder when OUR high school was
built.
I also wonder about when they tore down the old water tower that was
out close to 31 and Jefferson Street – and what has replaced it as far
as storing water is concerned?
How about this question: What is the origin of the word
“Tanyika”?
Was it a person, place or thing? Or none of the
above?? Enquiring minds want to know!!
Here’s another off-the-wall question: When did the Johnson County
Hospital open its doors? I was born @ Methodist Hospital in Sept
of ’43. Dad said the hospital wasn’t completed when he drove Mom
up there for me. Jack was born up @ Methodist in August of 44
(yeah, I can do the math, too – my parents, God bless them, loved each
other BUNCHES, huh?), but I don’t know if Dad just followed his own
tracks, or if Johnson County wasn’t open yet. Who knows??
Another, perhaps more timely, question? What’s all these
questions got to do with the HOLIDAYS, you ask? Well, I don’t
have an answer for that one either! I’m just trying to keep the
topics “class-related” – and with a whacky class like ours, that aint
always easy to do. How’s this grab ya: Jack and Ann Bingham
moved this past year from their Whiteland home in the same sub-division
my brother and sister-in-law live in, and I went by his house often,
noticing the “For Sale” sign, and wondering where “Rabbit” was
going. I never did stop or call, but during the time period it
was for sale, I couldn’t help notice there was a full-size porto-toilet
sitting in his front yard. After the house sold and Jack moved
(Sharon put a note out the they had moved to a duplex condo close-by, I
think), I wanted to call and ask him is he had trouble selling the
place, having zero bathrooms. I never called, but that’s OK, I’ll
get more mileage out of the gag running it through this way!
Ha! (OK, Jack – I’m sure there’s a sensible reason for the
outhouse – I’m just having a little fun here!).
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My
wife Kay is going to retire in January. Her job has kept her
on the road Mon-Fri almost every week over the last 15 years or
so. I’ve had the home front pretty much to myself since I retired
in ’99. I got warning signs going off left and right, suggesting
my life-style is about to go through some major hic-cups. Ya
think?? Ha! Thank Goodness for these grandkids (were
you
beginning to wonder how/when I was going to sneak them into this
message?). They’ll keep some of the heat off Papaw.
Julia
is 4 ½, and the boys are 2 in January. They live
close by, here in Greenwood, and are a big part of our lives. All
three are growing like weeds. The boys are identical – Conner has
a blue bloodline running across the top of his nose (you have to look
close to see it), and that’s the only way to tell he and Kyle
apart. It’s so much fun to take them shopping – we put each one
in a cart and go rolling through the store. If/when people start
noticing both of them, leave it to me to pop out to them that they
aren’t related; we just bumped into each other in the store (their
mother dresses them alike, which drives some folks crazy, but I like
it!). I’ll send Judy some pictures of all three and you guys can
see how much they’ve grown!
Kay
and I have three other grand children. They belong to an
older generation than the young ones, being 23, 21 and 20, with the
oldest out of college, a nurse and married this last summer, and the
other two at Huntington College (a sophomore and junior). They
all love their little cousins too, and we all were together for
Thanksgiving, and will be again for Christmas.
I
want to wish all of you the Happiest and Merriest of Holidays!
And please email me a message of how you are getting along (No, you
don’t have to ramble on and on like me! But you can, if you
want!). And send pictures, too! We will put your comments
on the website for all the class to see! Speaking for Sharon and
Judy as well as myself, we would love to hear from all of you!!!
Your
newly-titled “Website Coordinator,”
Ted
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