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Overview
60 Going on Fifty: The Baby Boomers Memory Book is the story of sixteen “guys” who graduated from Columbus High School (Indiana) in May, 1960. With their 50th high school reunion on the horizon, the “Columbus Crew” reconnected. The guys tell stories about growing up in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, and how those times impacted who they are today. They share their thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, and journeys. While the stories are unique to the Columbus Crew, their stories are certain to rekindle your memories of growing up in this glorious era, or show non-Boomers what life was like for your parents and grandparents.
The Columbus Crew takes you back to the days of…flat tops, LPs, the Hula Hoop, transistor radios, Lassie, 20 cents per gallon gas, the Big Band Era to Rock and Roll. The guys share stories of first cars, girlfriends, sports, jobs, getting into trouble and finding their way out, and much more. Hop into your’57 Chevy ragtop and take a ride down memory lane.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781600377389 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Morgan James Publishing |
| Publication date: | 06/15/2010 |
| Pages: | 288 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
And even if you were in some prison, the walls of which let none of the sounds of the world come to your senses — would you not still have your childhood, that precious, kingly possession, that treasure-house of memories?
Ranier Marie Rilke
People enjoy stories that rekindle memories of their early years.
Ed Poole
Sometimes our light goes out but is blown again into flame by an encounter with another human being. Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled the inner light.
Albert Schweitzer
Has your inner light been rekindled from time to time as you've reconnected with high school friends? Do you find your own treasure house of childhood memories returning from time to time — especially as you get a bit older? Do you ever think about your years growing up — your hometown, your friends, your family, your cuts and bruises, the day you learned to ride a two-wheeler with no one holding onto the seat? Do you remember your first car? What were the top ten songs during your teenage years? What was happening in your hometown, the nation, and the world? Do you remember your high school experiences — senior prom, first girlfriend or boyfriend, first job, the times you got into trouble and (sometimes) found ways to get out of those tough (but probably normal) high school experiences?
Kathi and I know the answer to all these questions is yes. The new friends you are about to meet as you read 60 Going on 50 will help those memories resurface. We make this statement with ultimate certainty because of a thought we began sharing five years ago: The story of any one of us is, in part, the story of all of us.
In 2005, there were approximately seventy-three million Baby Boomers. Every day over eight thousand individuals celebrate their sixtieth birthday. Imagine how many Baby Boomers would like to rekindle the memories of their early years, high school experiences, and the paths chosen after graduating from high school. Wouldn't you value a way to help you recall these, and other, memories?
60 Going on 50 is a book of stories about growing up in the '40s, '50s, and '60s. The Columbus Crew (as I've come to call them) share their stories about growing up in Columbus, Indiana — stories of their youth, athletic and academic experiences, as well as the stories about their post-high school years.
The stories in this book are about sixteen men — stories of the memories we created throughout our high school years and stories of the separate roads we have traveled since May, 1960. "Men" is the operative word here. After all, "macho guys" aren't supposed to share our feelings and emotions. We're "fixers" not "feelers." We know how to solve problems and "get things done." How many men, especially from the Baby Boomer era, will openly share the emotional — joyful and hurtful — stories of their lives? Some men are transparent with their thoughts and feelings; however the stories they share are often reserved for a small group of drinking buddies down at the neighborhood pub, where "we've been gathering for, gosh, I can't remember how many years."
Remembering the stories along our journey is impossible without also recalling the many transitions and changes we've experienced. In her book Broken Open, author Elizabeth Lesser wrote, "I marvel at what we all do in times of transition — how we resist, and how we surrender; how we stay stuck, and how we grow ... But perhaps the most profound of the tools we have at our disposal is the simple act of telling our stories to other human travelers — in circles around the fire, at the back fence with a neighbor, or at a kitchen table with family and friends." Lesser states, "When I am on a bad stretch of the journey, I am comforted most by the stories of other travelers who have made it past the bumps and potholes ..."
In my book Lessons from the Porch: A Gathering Place for Telling our Stories, I wrote about both storytelling and the transitions in my life. Transmitting our oral traditions was an important part of our culture until technology brought onto the scene TV, computers, cell phones, and other examples that often have replaced those times we shared stories around our campfires.
For thousands of years, our culture was shaped by storytelling. We had no other way to ensure that younger generations would learn about the traditions of our family and our country. We did not have those technological luxuries that became available to us in the latter part of the 20 Century. Many Baby Boomers can remember friends and relatives gathering on your front porch or in your homes sharing stories about their lives. We laughed, cried, played, and worked. Being together with our families and friends and sharing our experiences with them was important.
You may be wondering, "Why is storytelling the approach to use in helping us remember our past?" We're glad you asked. There are several reasons. When we tell about our lives, we give shape to the events we've lived. The events take on a pattern and new dimensions of meaning. Experiences change in the telling. Telling stories is an act of healing — the beginning of all forms of change in our lives. A story stands at the core of our being, and more than any other form of discourse, speaks to our hearts. Telling about our life allows us to have feelings we may not have had, or didn't know we had, at the time the event occurred. Our entire life overflows with stories. Each life is unique; therefore, each story is a one-of-a-kind story — a story no one ever lived before and no one will ever live again. If we don't share our unique stories, the world will never know how we lived our life — with all its blessings and struggles.
The experiences and stories of The Columbus Crew are not unlike the experiences of almost all members of our generation, from Anytown, U.S.A. Remember what we shared earlier, "The story of any one of us is, in part, the story of all of us." One of our ultimate goals is that our stories will enable you to make connections and recall your stories.
While entertaining and insightful in and of themselves, the stories shared by The Columbus Crew will help you begin remembering your own experiences during this era. We are all shaped by our environment. Often we forget what influenced us and led us on our journey to where we are today. The stories in 60 Going on 50 will jar those memories.
Both triumphs and struggles will be shared. Life hasn't been a bowl of cherries for any member of The Columbus Crew. Personally, I've had many (what I've come to call) wilderness journeys. When I've been smack dab in the wilderness, frantically searching for an oasis in the middle of the desert, I often wonder how I got there and how I'm going to find my way to the other side. After several of those experiences, I realized one of two outcomes will result from my wilderness times: I'll either survive, or I'll perish. I am a survivor. Each member of The Columbus Crew is a survivor, as is each of you.
At the end of several chapters you'll find questions, memory prompts and blank pages. If you really want to bring to the surface your own memories, take a few minutes and jot down your own thoughts. You'll be glad you did. Sure, it will take a little time, but the pay-offs are well worth the time.
Now, hop into your'57 Chevy ragtop and take a ride down memory lane with The Columbus Crew.
CHAPTER 2Well, Here's How This all Got Started
The following story about "friends" captures my thoughts about The Columbus Crew. Without a doubt this crew has returned for a lifetime, for which I am very grateful.
Friends Friends come into our lives for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime. When we know which one it is for a friend, we will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in our lives for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need we have expressed. They have come to assist us through difficulty, to provide us with guidance and support, to aid us physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. They seem like a Godsend, and they are! They are there for the reasons you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on our part, or at an inconvenient time, we or our friend will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes he or she dies. Sometimes he or she just walks away. Sometimes the friend, or we, act up and force us to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, and our friend's work is done. The prayer we sent up has been answered, and now it is time to move on.
Some friends come into our lives for a SEASON, because our turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring us an experience of peace, or make us laugh. They may teach us something we have never known or done. They usually give us an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach us lifetime lessons: things we must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Our job is to accept the lesson, love the friend, and put what we have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of our lives. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Anonymous
Thank you, Columbus Crew, for being friends for a lifetime!
Along with 432 other individuals, I graduated from Columbus High School in May, 1960. On June 19, 2010, our class will be celebrating our 50th high school reunion, hence the title of this book, 60 Going on 50.
Jack Hinkle was able to track down twenty of our high school classmates. On November 20, 2008, the inbox on my email account saw a flurry of activity.
The first message I read (going to everyone on The Columbus Crew email list) was from classmate Cal Brand. Cal wrote, "I just sent Ed an email inviting him in, but didn't send Jack's address. I used "thelessonguy" link provided by Tom. I hope it works. Ed and I shared a room our first year at Hanover College. Hope we hear from him."
Jack wrote:, "Ed, I have a group of former classmates wondering where you are and what you're doing. Give us a shout when you get a minute. We are talking memories and stuff."
Later that day, I heard from Jack again. "Ed, I started this email group and now, including you, there are twenty of us. I first thought to get football guys and then it got to all friends. Basically, we started rolling along with the upcoming election and now we're just doing some remembering ... Our biggest topic was the 25th Street versus Wilson basketball game back in 1956. Jeff Crump says Clifty beat both Wilson and 25th Street. We're still looking for proof. Welcome aboard."
Larry Bray, my friend, classmate, and next door neighbor for our first thirteen years wrote, "A bunch of guys from the class of '60 have been sharing memories with emails, and it is fun hearing from everyone. I think you might enjoy it as well. The current topic is who won the 8 grade basketball tournament in 1956. Jack, Dan, Jay, and I remember it as a close game won by Wilson. Jeff says Clifty won."
Many of those early emails were about our eighth grade basketball teams — Wilson, 25th Street, and Clifty. By the way, I played for Wilson, and we did win the tournament. Remember, we're talking about southern Indiana, where every baby is born with a basketball in his or her crib. During the first week of life, southern Indiana babies learn how to dribble the basketball. The second week finds those babies learning the art and skill of making crisp, clean passes. Upon reaching their third week, they begin taking shots at the hoops, and in the fourth week of life, the babies actually begin to make some of those shots. Okay, okay, okay — I may be a week or two off one way or the other, but not by much.
That very evening, I crafted my first email to The Columbus Crew, filling them in a bit on the life and times of Ed Poole. "WOW!!! Am I ever glad you found me. I cannot tell you how your notes have made my day. I don't think the day will get much better, so I may just go to bed after I write this. You have no idea how many times I replay in my mind the tapes of our high school years and reflect on all of you. As is often the case in my life, I don't recognize blessings until sometime on down the road. Each of you was a true blessing in my life. I thank you for that ... I so hope you all will get in touch and catch me up. I still miss Columbus and count my high school years as some of the best I've had."
The memories of my earlier years came flooding back. As they did so, I remembered a story Richard Bode told in his book First You Have to Learn to Row a Little Boat. Bode wrote about moving to California from New York as an adult. He arranged a luncheon meeting with a boyhood friend from Long Island, someone he hadn't seen in years. At this luncheon, Bode shared about their years growing up on Long Island. Bode talked about what he remembered and what he missed and how, as a man, he had come to terms with what losses he had suffered as a boy. His friend was surprised that Bode was "still struggling" with events that happened so long ago. In answering his friend, Bode said he wasn't struggling but "savoring" what he was remembering about his childhood. He said, "The desire to forget the past is a form of suicide ... What should truly frighten us is the possibility that we might lose the power to recall the life we have lived, which gives us our connection to ourselves." The Columbus Crew didn't realize it at the time, but 60 Going on 50 is our way of savoring our memories so we can maintain our connection to ourselves, and now with you.
Over the next few days, the emails came fast and furious, like an out-of-control wildfire spreading through a dry, brown forest. Once the memories started surfacing, nothing could stop the emails. There wasn't a topic left unturned. Talk about a trip down memory lane! The names and places will be different for you, but we bet as you read snippets of what the guys wrote in some of those early emails, similar memories of your earlier years will begin to surface.
"Did I read a reply by Jeff Crump that he thought Clifty won this tournament? I think Wilson played 25 Street in the final game. Clifty won the consolation game."
"I'll stick to my story, at least until I see some proof that I am wrong. My recollection is that our eighth grade year, Wilson and 25 Street beat us in an early (city?) tourney and quite possibly Wilson beat us in the regular season game. But by the end-of-season county tourney, we ended up winning it ... (Remember, Eddie Poole was six feet tall in the seventh grade and dominated the basketball court until later in the eighth grade year when we caught up with him?)"
"Steve the class clown was a trip even when we were stationed together at Myrtle Beach AFB, SC for a couple of years."
"Speaking of rides ... can't remember if it was Jay or Bob that was driving when we had a wreck in Greenwood on Hwy. 31. Rear-ended someone ... thank god we were all semi-sober at the time ... which was amazing ... huh guys?"
"Yeah, I had Mrs. Ayers at the old barracks 25 Street School, too. Two things I remember the most about her is that she would read to us The Bears of Blue River and when the Pink Eye was going around, she put hand soap all over the door knob ... Weird what we remember sometimes ..."
"Eddie, I recently posted that back in the day you were the best junior high trumpet player in the county. Was that right or have I gotten confused over the years?"
"I think you have some facts slightly incorrect concerning Lake Lemon. You had way too many beers. Janice and I drove you back to Columbus, as you were sound asleep in the back seat."
"Came back home to cold and snow showers which reminded me of the many wonderful days ice skating on The Lagoons. Back then there were a lot of open lots so we had easy access ... Someone often made a fire in an old oil barrel and we would get great gangs together for hockey. If we didn't have a proper puck, I recall using an empty can that would end up being pounded into a fairly dangerous metal pellet ... I also recall a car load of upperclassmen testing the ice at the canal and all going through ... And there was the great slope down from Washington Street in the south Lagoon where we shot down on our sleds and flew out over the ice. Great Fun! But BRRRRR!"
"Larry and I were known to break the ice on Flatrock River and scuba dive under it."
"Yes we still owe for the cigarettes, many of them."
"I bought my first pack in the 9 grade for 18¢. They were a quarter in the machines but some of the cheap stores had them for less."
"My mom still laughs at least once every six months with the story of watching you painting our cottage on Driftwood River. She pulled in and you tossed your cigarette to the ground with a sly smile and a nod."
"I remember learning to do the twist over Christmas break in some of our 'basement parties'."
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "60 Going on 50"
by .
Copyright © 2010 Ed and Kathi Poole.
Excerpted by permission of Morgan James Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
With Gratitude,
Chapter 1 Introduction,
Chapter 2 Well, Here's How This all Got Started,
Chapter 3 Columbus, Indiana: A Great Place to Grow Up,
Chapter 4 Let the Memories Begin,
Chapter 5 Our First Eighteen Years: Early Jobs, Fun, and Our Education through May 25, 1960,
Chapter 6 The Divergent Paths We Followed Beginning May 26, 1960,
Chapter 7 What We're Doing Now,
Chapter 8 Our 1959 Undefeated Season,
Chapter 9 A Dream Remembered: the 50th Reunion of the Undefeated Bull Dogs–August 21, 2009,
Chapter 10 Fond Memories, Good Thoughts, and a Little Humor,
Epilogue,