Class of 1965 “Breakfast Club.” Left to right, Tom (friend of a classmate), Bob Kidd, Mike Krause, April Mishler Krause, Dennis Trainor, Tom Lockwood, Tom (friend of a classmate) and Jim Taylor. Courtesy photo

Over the last few years, thanks to Facebook, my 50-year high school reunion, and most recently the 60th anniversary celebration of the opening of Cordova High School in 1963, I have become reunited with many “old” friends.  Some of us meet for breakfast weekly, and I maintain an email communication list to let classmates know of events, prayer needs, and, sadly, those lost to us.

I wish to communicate to students and alumni the importance of staying in touch with each other after high school. There is a Kenny Rogers/Dolly Parton song I used in the video I made of our 50th reunion: it's called “You Can't Make Old Friends.” It's so true. The reunions are times to reconnect with friends from high school, but also to see that after 10 or 20 years, there are no more divisions between the “popular kids” and the others. In fact, those of us who were sort of middle of the road turned out to be the most successful in life. I am fast friends with people (even married to one) I didn’t even know were my classmates back then.

High school is a time when most people are still innocent of many of life’s challenges to come ─ death in the family, marriage/divorce, going to war, losing your source of income, becoming sick with a life-threatening disease. We were all finding ourselves, figuring out what we wanted to do with our lives, mostly healthy, and the future was endless. Later in life you find out that you never have the same kinds of friends again. You leave a job, leave a church, move to a different neighborhood, everyone says, “Lets stay in touch!” But it rarely happens. But the people you went to high school with, even if you don’t talk to each other for 10 or 20 years, are still there, still an integral part of your life, part of the “you” that was being formed back then.  

Those of us in the class of 1965 (and 1966) pioneered the way, walked through the treeless, wind-blown, cement walkways surrounded by dirt/mud. We had no cafeteria, no football field, no Greek theater. We were there when the school colors were decided, the Alma Mater written, and the mascot chosen. The academic material was amazing ─ I was actually bored when I got to college because Cordova was much more stimulating. All these years we have watched it grow and change, watched the neighborhoods and shopping centers change, clothing styles evolve, watched the trees grow. But as the first, the pioneers at Cordova High, we will always have unique memories, and we will always love our Alma Mater.