Memories-Senior Bowling Night

I don’t remember the date, but I believe it was on a Friday night very close to graduation. The Senior Class had reserved several lanes at the Bowling Alley on Shepard Drive, not far from Sears. I think it started at 10:00 pm and went until 6:00 am Saturday morning. I don’t remember who all were there, but a few of them come to mind. Of course, those who were on the school Bowling Team were there and were prepared to show the rest of us “How it is done!”

The night started off with a lot of kids with a lot of energy and the sound of laughter was in the air. Early in the night, correct scoring was strongly encouraged by those actually knocking down pins and laughed at by the rest of us. As the night wore on, our movements became much slower and our voices got a little softer. The heavier balls were traded for those that weighed less and more two-hand bowling was being done. The rest periods came more often and discussions got more personal.

I remember many of us sharing our plans for after graduation and the near future. Several would be going to college and some would join the workforce. Some already had plans to get married during the summer and others later that year. Some of us had gone to school together for many years and yet this was the first time actually having conversations like those that night. Maybe the “bonding” was occurring because of all those years coming to a close and our paths might not cross again, who knows?

I have been blessed with the ability to remember a lot of things from my early years and most of them make me smile and feel good. As a student, I thought of these events as fun events to spend some time with your classmates. At this age, I see them as important transition events where we could spend some special time with friends and make lasting memories of those “good ole days” in school. The Class of 1961 has continued to be well represented every five years at Class Reunions where we also remember those that have joined those in Heaven.