June 13, 2019
A couple of days ago marked the 50th anniversary of my graduation from Highlands High School outside of Sacramento. A few days later I began my radio career.
50 years. It’s a stunning number. And that was quite a week, as I recall.
June 10, 1969 was a Tuesday. School was out and for some three or four hundred of us assembled in the football stadium the entire world of opportunities was laid at our feet.
I gave one of the two student commencement speeches that day. I waxed eloquently and metaphorically about those opportunities and warned my classmates, “You must be quick to grab the world by the tail (dramatic pause)…or be left holding the shattered fragments of a Crystal Dream.”
Our parents and teachers applauded my youthful wisdom. My classmates drank from hidden flasks, fired off a couple of illegal bottle rockets and laughed like hell.
One guy in the front row flashed me his junk under his graduation robe.
I said goodbye to my childhood that day with a handful of close friends who are still close and the girl who would become my wife.
Then 50 years slipped away.
In our fascination with big, round numbers we look back on our lives and try to find meaning in the journey. We measure ourselves, comparing then and now.
I’ve been anticipating this big round number for quite awhile and now that it has arrived I’m surprised to learn that it’s not that big a deal except for two things:
I’m alive and happy.
Next stop, the big, round 7-0.
Dave, I enjoy your blogs. There’s a beginning and an end, however I think it’s all about the hyphen. Coach Rudzik
Coach, you’re killing me here. First you tortured me with theorems, then curve balls and now — 50 years later I need to find my hyphen error? 🙂 I do adore you. Be well and live forever.
Born date, death date, in between is the hyphen. How’s your voice holding out?
Just guessing here, coach but I think I fixed that hyphen problem. I originally wrote “Next stop, the big, round 7-0.” At the end. I’ve changed it to “…the big, round 70”. Something about the meter bothers me but it does look better. Thanks!
And while I’m at it, thanks for keeping Norm Miller and me on the team even though there weren’t enough uniforms to go around. I think I’ll write about that soon.
I disagree with the coach. At our age, we focus not as much on our hyphens as we do on our colon.
Thanks Dave. You did what you advised them to do – you grabbed life by the tail.
You were a high school commencement speaker! I’ve seen you accomplish many things, but I didn’t realize you’d started so early. I’m impressed.