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| Class of 1971 |
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| Class of 1971 |
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Class of 1971: Welcome!
First, to say hello
to all the crazy people I went to school with. Life has been a confusing
journey - I don't think any of us ended up where we just KNEW we'd be back
then. It has been rewarding, full of friends and work, and, for some of
us, children. We were all so passionate about how we'd raise them different,
more open, more aware, and not so sheltered (mushroomed). I think I succeeded
on that count, and I couldn't be more proud of them. Let us all know how
YOU did.
Some of us went to college
and became successful in our careers but I haven't heard of one that
ended up a millionaire yet. Dang! We were gonna, by age 30. Seems it's
a bit harder than it looked back then! I was determined to go into
politics and save the world from itself. I just knew I was going to Washington,
D.C., and fix everything. Zero Population growth, the environment, and
dishonesty. Instead, I ended up a bookkeeper and mother of three.
Maybe I "fixed" things by helping to create a new generation which isn't
so gullible and who vote. I hope that they will never be so gullible as
to swallow another Vietnam.
I ache inside still,
and I weep when I see the Wall of Honor, for all the lost young men &
women of our generation. One of my goals now, is to go and see that memorial,
to touch it, and maybe ease the pain that lingers. We believed so deeply in our country,
and both sides cared so much about what was "right".
To Micky, we all miss
you so much. You were the sun, bringing warmth and light, into any place
you were. Of any that we could have lost, you were the saddest. We miss
you, and hope you are happy where you are. God Bless you Micky.
To all the young men
of 1971, thank you. You helped us learn to lighten up, to have fun, and
we have watched you grow from gruff, unsure, posturing "cool dudes", into
men of character, strength, and dignity. We learned, over the years, that
you were human too - you made mistakes, and yet never seemed to stop caring.
You have struggled to learn this "sensitivity" thing, to show your feelings
and to learn real communication skills - things you were not ALLOWED to
do when we were in school. YOU too, have come a long way, baby. For the
most part, you have succeeded and should be proud of yourselves. Thank
you for all you have given us.
To all the young women
of 1971 - wow! This was a hard one. To take the Gloria Steinham/Bella Abzug
path, and forsake the traditional path of home and family - knowing that
path was a lonely and bitter struggle against injustice; or to take the
path of tradition, and to make a difference, anyway. Those of us who took
the path of tradition vowed silently to not "cop out", and leave the challenge
to others. In my own quiet way, I have struggled to learn to accept no
less than respect for myself. Struggled to learn how NOT to be that doormat,
that "pretty, empty, head" that decorated executive parties that got pat
on the head and sent home to the kitchen. Somewhere along the way, I think
we found a balance. Our daughters, and their generation, seem to have a lot
more choices, and make a lot more informed decisions than we were ever
able to. Hooray for us! I think we did good.
To the counselors who struggled with me and my mechanical and math aptitudes (trying so hard
to help me find a career path that would fit a traditionally female role
- I still giggle when I think of poor Mr. Logan saying "Well, you could go to school to
learn, um, drafting?") thank you for trying.
To the teachers; some
of you cared so much and tried so hard to teach us to question, and to study, to invoke in us the passion for awareness that you yourselves had. It
was like you called to us, "Wake UP! the world is happening; be part of it or you will
be left behind to wonder what happened!" Some of it really did stick because
when I got a little older, and that world began to intrude on my awareness,
I found that I knew how to handle it, what to do, because of you. Thank
you.
Please post your messages
on the board and let the rest of us know how you did. It doesn't matter
that you didn't make "millionaire" or "president". This page is about
our lives, the struggles we ALL faced, and our own victories achieved. From Homemaker
to Engineer, everyone matters.
Thanks, Becky (Bunn) Ward
Class
Page Administrator
Contact:
Becky (Bunn) Ward