Monday, August 24, 2015

Fortieth Class Reunion: Salem High School Class of 1975

My wife took lots of photos from my class reunion, but has had difficulty with her smartphone last I checked, so my friend Jay Nemec has come to my rescue. Here he is introducing me for my rendition of my perfect country song, which I've titled "Day Breakin'":


My wife got it on video, but I don't even know how to upload that, so none of you need suffer through my performance. Even my favorite teacher, Mr. Scott, admitted that I'd given him yet another reason to hate country music:


That's him on the left with his wife. He consoled me with the fact that he'd liked my poem "So . . ." My wife has that on her smartphone, too, but . . . well, you know the song and dance by now. Anyway, here are my beautiful wife and I posing for the camera:


I'm now part of the crowd:


Finally, an unposed scene, one of former students and former teachers milling about:


I could explain who each of these people is, but that wouldn't be particularly edifying anyway, so I'll close for now.

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17 Comments:

At 5:10 AM, Blogger Kevin Kim said...

"Even my favorite teacher, Mr. Scott, admitted that I'd given him yet another reason to hate country music..."

Mr. Scott is a wise man.

 
At 6:41 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Wisdom, whizdumb, country music is great . . . once in a while.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 12:31 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fun was had by all...I think. Anyway I could have used the "poison" of your song a time or two to get through the emcee duties...Ha! Still a fine looking group in my opinion.

Jay

 
At 5:53 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

We certainly had fun! One thing we should have done, however, was say something about each of the teachers present. I think we were so caught up in the video glitch that the thought didn't occur to any of us till later that we ought to have recognized individual teachers for the good they'd done. Doubtless, some classmates did so privately, but I wish we'd thought to do so officially.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 8:14 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, the picture is changing.
Now you're part of a crowd.
They're laughing at something.
The music's loud.
A girl comes towards you you once used to know...

Sonagi

 
At 8:24 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Time Passages

Jeffery Hodges

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At 3:18 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Was a great time. So glad you're a part of us. As I said to you, you were always a big presence in school. I think Time Passages was a good song pick too. BTW, love your blog, and you too friend. Anita

 
At 4:17 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WOW! I have always known our class liked to stir the waters a bit, but to elicit two unprintable comments! We must have really hit a nerve somewhere.

I did talk to each of the teachers at least briefly. I talked mostly with Mr. Brown as he drove myself, Pete, and Micah to school almost every day when I was a senior. My regret is not having time to talk longer with many of our classmates. Some of them like Bruce, Deborah and Tim, I barely got to say "Hi" to.

Oh well, as a wise man on TV often says, "Stay thirsty my friends."

Jay

 
At 6:01 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Thanks, Anita. Never realized I was a big presence . . . but in a small school like ours, maybe everybody was a big presence.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 6:03 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

The two comments were likely just mistakes. The author took them down.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 8:51 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

By the way, Anita, if you like my blog, you'll love my book, so if you love my blog, you'll . . . hmm . . . is there anything stronger than "love" in the English language?

And incidentally, did we go on a field trip in the eighth grade on a school bus, and you sang the "O Jolly Playmate" song?

Oh jolly playmate,
Come out and play with me,
And bring your dollies three,
Climb up my apple tree,
Slide down my rainbow,
Into my cellar door,
And we'll be jolly friends,
For ever more!

Oh jolly playmate,
I can't come play with you.
My dolly has the flu,
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo.
I have no rainbow,
Ain't got no cellar door,
But we'll be jolly friends
For ever more.

You faced off with another girl, clapping in time to the tune. I could never master the rhythm, but girls seemed to take to the activity with ease!

Jeffery Hodges

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At 8:11 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You sang that song in the EIGHTH grade? My middle school friends and I were belting out the lyrics to ACDC classics like "Backseat Rhythm" and "Big Balls."

The fading innocence of American children perished when Sisqo's "Thong Song" hit the airwaves.

Sonagi

 
At 8:29 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

We hillbillies always were a bit behind the times . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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At 8:25 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

My uncle found a Salem class ring from 1975 in Homer, MI. It has the initials JJJ or maybe JSS engraved on the inside. If anyone on here knows the owner, email me gregdwade@gmail.com.

 
At 8:36 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Thanks, Mr. Wade. I'll pass along the information.

Jeffery Hodges

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At 9:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Jeff and Jay, yep- me erasing my post. I don't know why it posted three times- same message. This hillbilly is still figuring out how to respond to the blog. REALLY? in eighth grade I was singing elementary. Do you think that pic of me (or my hair) on the bus was the same field trip?BTW I wasn't "acting" all elementary probably- you kiss and tell guys shared more than likely.LOL

 
At 10:08 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I was never a kiss-and-tell sort because I never got any kisses . . .

Jeffery Hodges

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