1961

1961 was a year of excitement and dreams come true for me.  And did you know that it is the only year that can be read upside down and still be 1961.

But 1961 was an exciting year as it was my senior year in high school and I was going to graduate.  It was an exciting time and yet there was a touch of sadness.  For over twelve years, I got up and went to school to learn and be with my friends and now it was going to be all over.  Oh, I would see my friends, but what would I do for the rest of the time.

I knew that I had to get a job and the idea of college was not an option as my family just couldn't afford it.  I considered a trade school but I would have to work to earn my tuition.  And as much as I hate to say it, during that time, there was not as much emphasis on young women going to school.  There were two options, go to school or get married.  That pretty much sums it up and those who went on to school were the lucky ones who could afford it and I will say they also may have had more determination to have a career.  

I wasn't interested in becoming a teacher or nurse, doctor, lawyer or having a professional career.  I wanted to be a secretary and I had the skills to do that.  But going to a trade school would give me a few more which would help with advancement but it was always what I wanted to be.

Through all the excitement of the end of the school year from our Senior Banquet to the commencement, we shared our laughter, our tears and our remembrances.  With the largest class ever to graduate from William Chrisman High School, 523 students faced a new future.

I kept in touch with a few of my closest friends for a while but as we all moved forward with our lives, we began to lose touch.  Just as we all scattered with our school, jobs and even military, we also scattered all over the country.

It was a good time but it was also a bad time during our country but we seemed to forge ahead and do what we had to do.

I made contact with an old boyfriend and as we wrote and talked on the phone, we discovered that the feelings we had years before when we were much younger were still there and on November 11, 1961 we were married.  He was in the Navy so I was one of those classmates that scattered as we moved to California to live until his discharge.

So this year brings back a lot of memories of what was going on in my life fifty years ago.  I was young and looked at the future as being bright and prosperous and I will say that it has had its ups and downs but it has been a good life.

I had two lovely daughters and now have four wonderful grandchildren.  So I've been very prosperous with my family.  

Recently my graduating class held a 50th school reunion.  I was unable to attend due to the distance and cost factor and I also discovered that most of my closest friends had either passed on or had disappeared so no one knew where they were.  It would have been nice to go back to see the school and it was one thing my husband had promised that we would do but we planned to make it a double celebration.

However, in October 2009, we got the diagnosis that he only had a short time and even with treatment, the cancer won the battle and he passed away on January 14, 2010.  The one thing he had looked forward to so much was our 50th anniversary which would be on 11-11-11.  He wanted to do something very special because of the unusual date.  I will not forget though and even if I couldn't attend my 50th school reunion, I will go visit my husband that day and I will remember and make it a special day.

But 1961 will always be a year for me to remember.