I graduated from high school in 1992. My classmates and I were a unique group, we went to a cooperative high school where some of us went to work for two weeks and came back to school for two weeks. Sections I and II knew each other, but rarely saw each other unless we were friends outside of school. Our superlatives and class officers were all different but when we all were together, it was apparent that we were one school.
Our building no longer exists, with new administrators to the Dayton Public Schools came new schools. I don't know if they knew the history of the schools that were destroyed, but we have a strong history and many stories we could tell you about teachers and athletic games. We had a great athletic department and a strong a band, cheerleaders, majorettes and a pep squad. We could tell you about Flying Pizza and walks to the Career Academy. In 2012 we had to take our class photo in the empty grass filled lot where we were once proud students at our beloved John H. Patterson Co-Op High School. I found this website which has a video of the school being demolished http://www.classcreator.com/Dayton-OH-John-H-Patterson-Co-Op-1984/class_custom6.cfm
I know that I'm getting older when I meet young people who tell me they weren't even born at that time. They look at me as if with pity that I'm old. I try to explain to them that my life has been rich and I have been blessed to have lived to see 41. My father used to tell people, "You wish you could be my age." I may be old but I am filled with memories that will uphold me when news of people passing shocks my core. I heard the motivational speaker Les Brown say that life happens when you turn 40. He was right! Right before I turned 40 it seemed like life went into overload. Maya Angelou passed away, friends my age were passing away, ugly cancer reared its head in my family, mid-life reevaluating stopped me in mid goal pursuit and I had to rethink my why. It was rough and still the dust has not settled in every area of the shakeup.
So it has come again to hearing news of a classmate passing away. How do you digest this type of news? How can you fathom that he was healthy one day and sick the next with an aggressive form of cancer? Even though I didn't keep in touch with him it still stings. Seeing my classmates heartbroken is hard. This is one thing that I hate about living in Pittsburgh, nobody here really can walk with me through these tough times when they don't know the full experience. I don't always want to explain everything, I just want to hug somebody who already knows and we don't have to speak.
So to my classmates, as we center our hearts around the loss of Tony, let's have one last pep rally for our friend and send him out with a "PCH4Life!" I am praying for you, enjoying you old photos and wondering how I can better stay in touch so I don't have to live with the regrets of people not knowing that I love them.
Go hug somebody and stand on your unpluckable faith,
 |
| Photo Credit: http://www.classcreator.com/Dayton-OH-John-H-Patterson-Co-Op-1984/class_index.cfm |
PCH4Life.
Our building no longer exists, with new administrators to the Dayton Public Schools came new schools. I don't know if they knew the history of the schools that were destroyed, but we have a strong history and many stories we could tell you about teachers and athletic games. We had a great athletic department and a strong a band, cheerleaders, majorettes and a pep squad. We could tell you about Flying Pizza and walks to the Career Academy. In 2012 we had to take our class photo in the empty grass filled lot where we were once proud students at our beloved John H. Patterson Co-Op High School. I found this website which has a video of the school being demolished http://www.classcreator.com/Dayton-OH-John-H-Patterson-Co-Op-1984/class_custom6.cfm
I know that I'm getting older when I meet young people who tell me they weren't even born at that time. They look at me as if with pity that I'm old. I try to explain to them that my life has been rich and I have been blessed to have lived to see 41. My father used to tell people, "You wish you could be my age." I may be old but I am filled with memories that will uphold me when news of people passing shocks my core. I heard the motivational speaker Les Brown say that life happens when you turn 40. He was right! Right before I turned 40 it seemed like life went into overload. Maya Angelou passed away, friends my age were passing away, ugly cancer reared its head in my family, mid-life reevaluating stopped me in mid goal pursuit and I had to rethink my why. It was rough and still the dust has not settled in every area of the shakeup.
So it has come again to hearing news of a classmate passing away. How do you digest this type of news? How can you fathom that he was healthy one day and sick the next with an aggressive form of cancer? Even though I didn't keep in touch with him it still stings. Seeing my classmates heartbroken is hard. This is one thing that I hate about living in Pittsburgh, nobody here really can walk with me through these tough times when they don't know the full experience. I don't always want to explain everything, I just want to hug somebody who already knows and we don't have to speak.
So to my classmates, as we center our hearts around the loss of Tony, let's have one last pep rally for our friend and send him out with a "PCH4Life!" I am praying for you, enjoying you old photos and wondering how I can better stay in touch so I don't have to live with the regrets of people not knowing that I love them.
Comments
Post a Comment