Memories of Days Gone By...

Posted by Karla Lofgren Davis

I have been looking through my Milby yearbooks to get inspiration for the initial blog threads. If your memory is anything like mine, you have an easier time remembering things that happened in 1960 than you do remembering why you walked into the next room 5 minutes ago! Still, the yearbooks serve as a good jog to my memory. As I look at various photos, I immediately have some fond (and some not so fond!) memories of classes and teachers . . . extra curricular activities . . . special events . . . classmates . . .

I can still remember exactly where I sat in some of those classrooms. I can picture who sat in front of, behind, and beside me. I can also remember how stressful it was to rush to get to my locker, work the combination (why did my lock so often fail to open?), find the right books and materials, and then get to the next class on time. I actually still have dreams about that, waking up in a cold sweat and then being so relieved when I realize it was just a dream and I don’t EVER have to go through that ordeal again. I have another dream that recurs every few years (probably closely related to the previously mentioned dream) in which I am zipping down the halls of good old Milby on roller skates. Not that I ever did that, of course. I think it is just my positive alternative to the negative locker dream! (Note: Laura McNeil Burns sent me this addition in an e-mail after this was published: "You know, Karla, you can't roller skate in a Buffalo Herd!!!"   Funny, huh!?!?!?!)

What are your favorite memories of Milby? What words of wisdom from certain teachers still come to mind as you wind your way through life. What hilarious stories do you tell your children and grandchildren when the subject of your youth comes up? For example, any crazy experiences while “wrapping” houses? I remember being terrified that someone would catch us in the act (especially when “borrowing” rolls of paper from a service station restroom) and we’d “get into trouble!” Of course, that did not stop me from participating.

And someone out there owes me big time! You may remember that our yard had huge oak trees. Someone(s) did a really thorough job of throwing those toilet paper rolls high into the trees for a really lovely effect as they trailed down to the ground and were again tossed high. My dad was quite mad, and said since he didn’t know who did it that I could just get myself out there and clean it up. I did! You owe me!!!

Please use this opportunity to comment about your favorite high school memories – in or out of school hours. Let’s enjoy a stroll down memory lane together…

Note: This is one of the first posts created for the blog. The number of comments that had accumulated had made accessing the most recent ones too cumbersome. Therefore, on March 26, 2008 I moved the earliest comments to a page linked in the right sidebar entitled "Memories of Days Gone By (archived earliest comments)". There are some great chains of dialogue there and they are well worth a read. Please be sure to access them by clicking here.

CLICK HERE to return to the top of the main section after reading comments below, and/or making your own comment.

Comments

[John Hammerle]

I believe that the picture Charles sent of the Deady Band is our 7th grade year. The picture I submitted in following our dreams, is our 8th grade. Pam Thomas was a cheerleader in the 8th grade.

[Duke it out, guys!]

I am going to have to defer to others on this as I have no idea which is what. Charles and John, you are going to have to duke it out! Let me know if the two of you can reach consensus and I'll make any corrections on the photo ID that are necessary! Glad you're both still involved with the blog!!! Karla

[John Echoff]

Franklin, I didn't realize you also went to Harris Elem. Mr Sloan could swing a mean paddle with that one arm, I never understood how he tied his bow-tie with only one hand! Did Mr Sloan try to sell your parents a set of World Book Encylopedia's? He sold a set to my foster-parents in 1950 and I just recently tossed them.

[Karla Lofgren Davis]

Did they have clip-on ties in those days (or as the newest saying goes, "back in the day")?

I believe Frank was a mid-termer. Those were the guys and gals half a year older who changed classes in January instead of May, so they were not usually in classes with those of us who had the prefix "low" before our grade level. (You remember - high 5th and low 5th.) I always thought of those kids as being smarter and cooler because they were a half year older.

I wonder if the rest of you had this artificial awe of those who were even a little older. How could that possibly matter, especially at our current "advanced" age? And yet even now I find myself attributing special status to anyone who was in the classes ahead of ours. I say their names or think their faces and they have a "cool", untouchable aura in my mind. Oh the vagaries of youth! Hows 'bout you? Do you experience that too? Karla

[Laura McNeil Burns]

Hey, that's because we WERE smarter and cooler.

[john echoff]

Mr. Sloan could paddle with the best of them..including any coaches. Don't remember any book sales though.

[John D. Moore]

Karla,
I am glad you weren't too shy to ask me to the Sadie Hawkins dance. I was so stunned that a beautiful senior would ask out a lowly sophomore.

[Clyde ( Sonny ) Jones]

John, The only reason Karla would have had anything to do with you is because you were 6'12" tall. Otherwise I'm sure she would've settled for someone older, more demure and enlightened!