Author: Easin' Along

In October of last year, my high school class held our 50th class reunion.  I had intended to comment on this event in Easin’ Along before now, but in waiting a year to reflect on the achievements of my classmates and the turbulent times in which we came of age, I am even more impressed by the accomplishments of this wonderful group of people.

I had the honor of serving as our Class President and, after we gathered for dinner, I took the opportunity to deliver a few remarks to our group.  Written below is an edited version of those remarks. 

Looking Back 50 Years…

Around 1947 or 1948 3.5 million children were born in the United States. We were on the leading edge of the Baby Boom.  Fortunately, we were the offspring of what later became known as “The Greatest Generation” … those rugged individuals who had faced a Depression and endured it fought a war and won it, then quietly came home to resume their lives and create the prosperity in which we grew up.

In 1962, or 54 years ago, 217 of those 3.5 million kids entered Bearden High School.

Here are some of my memories of that time…

I don’t remember much about my first day except that it started with algebra class (and I promptly went to sleep), but I remember much about the next four years.  I was terrible at sports, about average in the classroom, and had great friends. I remember Sock-hops and Shoney’s; Madras shirts, Bass Weejuns, and Villager blouses. I remember our junior prom; I remember our intramural basketball team (the Aardvarks), and the fun we had in Hi-Y, and on the yearbook staff.

We didn’t have much to fret about back then as times were pretty good. Looking back now, however, I can think of three events that impacted all of us.  

I remember standing at my locker outside of biology class on an afternoon in 1963, awkwardly trying to flirt with that cute Janie and getting nowhere, when Mike walked up and asked, “Did you hear that they shot Kennedy?” I couldn’t tell you what I was saying to Janie, but I’ll never forget the words Mike said to me.  Suddenly the world didn’t seem so innocent anymore. I’ll bet you remember where you were too.

I remember the fall of 1964 when African American students enrolled in Bearden High School for the first time. The class of ’66 received four new classmates – Darnell, Lillian, Sylvia, and Gloria. I can’t imagine the apprehension felt by those four lovely young ladies as they walked into our classrooms, but we accepted them with the respect and dignity that they deserved–traits that were taught to us by that Greatest Generation. Looking back through a fifty-year lens, I’m grateful for the class of my classmates. Similar events had torn up campuses in Alabama, Mississippi, and Arkansas, but it was just another day at Bearden High. 

The third event that altered the trajectory of our lives was boiling up in a small country in Southeast Asia. Maybe some of you could have pointed out Viet Nam on a map at that time, but I know I couldn’t. Because of what was going on there, every male in Bearden who had no idea where Viet Nam was, knew about Draft Board 50. The draft and that war were to become significant factors in the lives of all of us…male or female.

I also remember that a few days prior to graduation we gathered in the auditorium at Bearden to perform our senior skit where we made a promise to ourselves and to the world by singing “Gonna Build a Mountain”, by Sammy Davis, Jr. The words went something like…

Gonna Build a Mountain,

Gonna build it high,

Don’t know how I’m gonna do it,

Only know I’m gonna try! 

On June 1, 1966, a few days after that performance, and four years after walking into Bearden High, we assembled together one last time in the James White Auditorium.  We were prayed over by a Minister and the father of a classmate; we listened to inspiring (cough) speeches by five of our best and brightest students around the theme of “Youth Wants to Know Values of Our Times”. We then strolled across the stage where another dad and a member of the school board handed us our diplomas.  Suddenly 217 wide-eyed free spirits now had the world at their feet and were scattered by the four winds to build that mountain.

So, Bulldogs, it’s 50 years – and in my case, 40 pounds later…how’d we do? The bio forms that you sent to us, sheds a bright light on that.

In reading about the lives and careers of our classmates, I found that we had no professional athletes. The class of ’67 made that happen with Phil Garner, a successful baseball player, and manager.  We had no career politicians and, probably because of that, we had no incarcerated criminals (pause).

If we had any, however, we would have had Becky, an Assistant DA to prosecute them, Chuck, a defense attorney to defend them, Carl a law professor to teach them something about the law, and Norman and Ernie, successful corporate attorneys to help them build a business. All five have had distinguished legal careers.

In addition to those five, remarkable achievement by our classmates can be found across almost every segment of American life. We truly have made our presence felt and are among the millions of Americans who make America work!

I want to take a few minutes to point out a few notables.  I can’t name them all because that would leave us no time to take to the dance floor and dance like nobody’s watching, but here are a few…(last names omitted).

Medicine:

Doyle, MD. A cataract and refractive surgeon has traveled to over twenty countries teaching, consulting, and treating patients.

Mike, MD. A neurologist served for 30 years in the United States Army, then joined the faculty of the U of Hawaii. He was voted “Teacher of the Year” 13 times by his students at the University of Hawaii Medical School. His list of published papers and book contributions was so extensive, I stopped counting after 60.

Psychology:

Linda, Ph.D. A member of the faculty at a major University, is one of the foremost experts in the country on the relationship of parents, specifically fathers and daughters, after divorce. She has been featured on PBR, in the Wall Street Journal, and other distinguished publications.

Research:

Mike, has conducted research for St. Jude’s Hospital for over 30 years.

Education:

Cheryl, E.D.  Teacher, consultant, mentor, author. Has consulted with school districts across the country in developing educational programs. Voted Knox County Teacher of the Year. Member of the Hall of Honor – College of Education, University of Tennessee.

Cheryl served on the staff of a Junior College for over 25 years.  As an Associate Professor, she received Excellence in teaching and outstanding Faculty awards.

 We’ve had five teachers with over 30 years in the classroom:

Jeanine, Kathy, Martha, Nancy (also children’s book author), Sarah  

Twenty years in the classroom:

Linda, Terry, Joyce

Ministry:

David D.D, Served the United Methodist Church for 42 years.

Tom, served in business and education before obtaining a degree in Theological studies and ordained as an Episcopal priest. Now serving on a preaching fellowship at Virginia Theological Seminary.

Business:

Robert – President and Chief Operating Officer of a major restaurant chain with hundreds of restaurants throughout the country and in many countries throughout the world.

Jim, now EVP, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of a major bank in Middle Tennessee.

Larry and Kathy have owned and operated a kitchen and bath design business in Knoxville for over 30 years.

Military: (Career)

Susan, LTC became the first female in the history of the US Air Force to finish first in her class in Officer Candidate School.

Mike, MD, (Col) Neurologist, Tripler Army Medical Center, Hawaii.

Lynn, Officer, U.S. Navy, 

Larry, U. S. Navy, 

Reservists: (Career)

Ernest. Colonel, US Army

Joe, Lt Colonel, US Army

Leonard, M SGT, US Army

The ultimate sacrifice was paid by Marine Lance LCpl Mike Dawson who was among 19 brave Marines killed in heavy fighting on June 17, 1969, in Quang Tri Province, Viet Nam.  He was a member of the 3^rd Bn, 3^rd Marine Division. Mike was in his seventh month in Viet Nam. His name is inscribed on the wall of the Viet Nam Memorial in Washington, DC.

Engineering:

Larry, now an engineering consultant, was Vice President of Global Financial Operations for Dupont, (Stainmaster and Lycra Divisions). He has traveled to over 72 countries and has published three novels under the pseudonym of J W Streett.

Terry obtained a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering.  Served as a consulting engineer for 18 years and as a professor at the University of Tennessee in Civil Engineering for 20 years.

Arts and Architecture:

James mastered the Danish language and has worked as an architect in Denmark for over 40 years.

Performing Arts:

Elizabeth has been a member of the Knoxville Symphony for many years as a violinist and harpist.  She is a member of her own performing group.

Bill, now deceased, played the French Horn with the Milwaukee Symphony for 35 years. A noted bird watcher, he became an expert in hawk migration.

Scarlett. Inimitable, and talented.  She has performed as a stage actress for a theater company in Anchorage, Alaska for many years

Volunteers:

Pam has been recognized for contributing over 8000 hours of volunteer work at the Medical Center in Columbia, TN.

Eric volunteers three days a week at the Shepherd Spine Clinic in Atlanta assisting individuals with spinal cord injuries and helping them regain their ability to walk.

Cheryl was recently honored for thousands of hours of service with Helen Ross McNabb Center, an organization in Knoxville that provides help and support to individuals and families dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Jack for over a decade has worked for countless hours to provide food and shelter to homeless or unwanted animals.

Finally, the overwhelming majority of you have taken on the toughest and most important task of all by giving care, love, and support to your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren as devoted and loving MOMS AND DADS and producing another generation of great Americans.

So, Bulldogs, I’d say we did ourselves proudly…

We Built that Mountain

We didn’t just try

We kept our word

And we built it high

Thanks again for coming, and give yourself a big hand!

With that, I’ll be Easin’ Along…

Even though I love to eat and seem to have hunger pangs about every four hours, I have never really known true hunger. I have faced a challenge or two since the day I came into this world over 69 years ago, but an access to food and an abundance of it has never been one of them.  As embarrassing as it is to admit, I have never thought much about it other than to acknowledge daily that I am blessed in so many ways. Nevertheless, I don’t often pause to specify those blessings individually. This week, hunger came into focus.

On Monday, as I was sitting around doing the stuff that old retired guys do (checking sports scores, planning lunch, watching neighbors walk by) I received a call from my dear friend John who said he needed a favor. John and I go back a long way and have known each other since high school days when we worked on a pipeline crew for several summers. He also gave me a helping hand about twenty-five years ago when I desperately needed one, but that’s a story for another day.  If John needed a favor, I was all in.

Periodically John and his wife, Judy, volunteer to deliver food for Fish, an organization that provides food to individuals and families in Knoxville and surrounding areas. Judy had another commitment on delivery day and John asked if I could fill in. I said I would meet him as soon as my exercise class (more retired guy stuff) ended.

Fish is a remarkable non-profit, all-volunteer organization that serves food and other needed items to nearly 11,000 families a month from four locations in Knoxville and several associate locations in struggling communities nearby.  Fish provides food to anyone who asks for it in a non-judgemental way. There is no concern about whether it is deserved.

The church that John and I both attend supports the Fish organization by encouraging members of our congregation to donate needed food and personal items and cash contributions. Our church also provides volunteers to gather donated items and items supplied by Fish and organize them based on the needs of the recipients into bags and containers. Volunteers then deliver those containers to families and individuals who are unable to come to the Fish Pantry. That was our job for the afternoon.

We arrived at the church and were met by a group of volunteers who had organized items for delivery.  Several volunteers had already departed with about half of the day’s deliveries, but I was impressed with the amount of food that remained and with how efficient everything was organized and staged. The bags John and I were to deliver were pointed out to us and we were handed information sheets containing the names and addresses of the four families we were assigned. Each bag was filled with items requested by the family such as food items like cereal, or peanut butter for example, or personal items like shampoo or diapers. Each bag was numbered and the numbers were listed on the sheets we were given.

Each of the four families on our assignment lived in the same housing complex and after we loaded the bags in John’s car we got directions and moved out. It was a beautiful day and I felt blessed to be out and about in it. It didn’t really matter where we were going…I felt we were heading in a good direction.

The complex was located on a busy street within a mile of downtown.  Without counting, I would estimate that there were approximately forty apartments in the complex.  We took advantage of the good directions given by a resident and found the first apartment with no difficulty. A lady greeted us with a warm smile and a very friendly voice.  John was carrying the bags for this family and placed them on a kitchen counter.  A gentleman was laying on the couch and appeared to be ill. Both were extremely grateful and thanked us profusely.

We were met at the second apartment by a lady and her small but very active dog.  She too was very welcoming and then said she recognized us.  It turns out that she had visited our church on occasion and had seen us there.  We encouraged her to come back for another visit. I gave her the bags I was carrying, gave her dog a quick pat and turned to leave, but the busy little pooch scooted out the door before I could close it.  In the hallway, a gentleman coming up the steps rescued the little fellow and took him back to his owner. With the crisis averted, we again said goodbye and moved on.

At the third apartment, we met a peppy lady wearing big glasses and a scarf around her head.  The apartment was minimally furnished and she asked us to place the items on the floor which I did.  She had a big smile the entire time we were there but said that she was about to have surgery for a second time on her shoulder. We left after a short but very lively conversation about a variety of subjects. I thought to myself that I hoped her surgery goes well because this would be one lady who would find it difficult to slow down.

A lady wearing a scarf around her shoulders opened the door at our last apartment and as she struck up a conversation with John, a young lady appearing to be in her twenties stuck her head out of an apartment across the hall.  She looked at me and quietly asked if we had a bag for her. When I said that I didn’t she gave me a forlorn look then turned and closed before I could tell her about Fish. For the rest of the day, I thought more about her than the families we served.  I pray she wasn’t hungry.

In the end, John did me a bigger favor than I did for him. I’m blessed and grateful that I had this opportunity.  There is a lot more to do in this world than old retired guy stuff. I better be Easin’ Along. 

Almost two years ago I posted an article stating that there was one aspect of my lifestyle that would not change after I retired.  That one aspect was a devotion to attending University of Tennessee football games—something I had done since I was around eight years old. There were plenty of things that would change like waking to an alarm clock or dreading Mondays, but during football season, I would be seated in Neyland Stadium, Section JJ, Row 1, Seat 7 or 8, just as I had every year since 1976. Eventually, that firm position evolved into a different stance and this year we finally gave up our season tickets…I can’t believe I’m writing those words. The reasons for the change were many, and retirement contributed. A few of the reasons are listed below.

Parking was always difficult.  I’m too tight to pay a ridiculous sum for parking close to the stadium and didn’t relish the idea of walking long distances back to our car after a night game. A few years back, a new garage was opened within blocks of the stadium and offered parking at a reasonable price. I purchased one spot and kept it for two years before the University realized that this situation was too good for “normal people”. The University leased the garage on football weekends and reserved it for big donors.  That was probably the beginning of the end for me.

Another factor leading to this decision was that many of the games are now played at night. A game that starts at 7:30 or 8:00 can lead to a very long day.  Added to the late start time are the delays for television time-outs and the ridiculously long delays for someone to review calls by the referees. Many games will last beyond midnight. Also, there is the potential for overtime periods when any true fan would hate to leave yet know that the end of a game could be very late.

The march toward this decision probably began before I wrote the previous article.  Helen (adorable wife) long ago gave up attending the games against “lesser” opponents, preferring instead to listen to the radio while puttering in the yard or watching on television while working a puzzle. She would attend some of the bigger games, but eventually, even those games lost their appeal.

None of the above has done anything to quell my passion for Tennessee football. I am a true “homer” and still bleed Orange and White.  Our team is struggling somewhat this year, but I am no less a fan because of it. In reading over my post from two years ago (Click here for link), I realized how much I miss seeing all the friends I made in Section JJ. Some of them were real characters and a whole lot of fun.  I miss that pageantry of college football and the bands that no longer are shown on television so that some opinionated pundit may have precious TV time.

I miss tailgating before the afternoon games. Some fans are excellent at tail-gate cooking and creating the places to entertain and serve their delicious recipes.  I still have some cooking gear I purchased especially for tail-gating that I now use for camping. I miss the steady rise in the enthusiasm of our fans as game-time approaches. 

In the end, the contribution retirement made to this change was our new lifestyle and the opportunity we now have for travel.  We have learned that our favorite time to be on the road is the fall and over the past two years, we have missed several games as a result.  One of my most memorable experiences was watching Tennessee play football on my MacBook on the front porch of a Lodge in Great Pond, Maine. We lost the game, but the view beyond the screen softened the blow considerably.

Betty, our RV has two televisions and a connector for either cable or satellite.  Those connections, plus one more for an Apple TV device, almost assure that we can watch a game from just about anywhere without missing a snap. In addition, I have a very comfortable Big Daddy recliner in our great room positioned in front of a large flat screen HDTV. The refrigerator is a few short steps away and the beer is always good and always cold. Ultimately it was the flat screen that won out over parking hassles and nighttime football.

 

 

 

 

I am certain that I will attend games again in the future. I didn’t become less of a fan–I just got a better seat…with a view. Gotta be Easin’ Along—I want to get the recliner ready…we play Alabama next week.