Yearbooks

Do you call it a yearbook or an annual? Have you looked at them at all since graduation? Have you shown it to your kids or grandkids and smiled at their reaction to you “back then”?

I have two versions, ’69 and ’70. I didn’t get one freshman year for some long forgotten reason (probably financial), and I didn’t get one sophomore year because I was in Atlanta. I’ve spent more time looking at the one from ’70. I don’t really know why, maybe because it was last, or maybe because I’ve always felt the ’69 version was too centered on one person.

There are several differences in the two of course, even down to the comments people added when they signed them. In ’69 some of them called me a “sweet boy” or “nice boy”. By ’70 those comments changed to “great guy” and “nice guy”. I appreciated the difference. :)

And speaking of signing them, except for a handful of people who graduated in ’69, the same people signed both books. I guess I traveled in a limited circle.

Who took up complete pages when they signed yours? Still keep in touch with them? I shake my head at the ones who took up entire pages in mine. Maybe a couple of them just felt the need to get wordy. :)

I’m not going to ask if the special person who signed your books back then is still the special person in your life, because odds are they’re not, and haven’t been for some time. Ah, young love is such a fickle thing. Brenda and Bruce are part of a very select group when it comes to staying together so long. It must be cutting Mr Headlee’s classes that made the difference, huh Brenda? :)

If you haven’t taken them out in a while, do yourself a favor and do it. Make it some place quiet, like out on the back porch after supper. Take the time to take in each page and each scribbled message. I’ll bet you a box of Krispy Kremes that you’ll enjoy it.