“Time it was,
And what a time it was
It was …
A Time of innocence
A Time of confidences.”
— from “Bookends” by Paul Simon
High school memories with their innocence and confidences came flooding back last weekend at a mini-reunion for some of the Aiken High class of 1966.
It was 55 years ago that we walked across the stage in Hagood Stadium to receive our diplomas from Principal J.O Willis. Little did we know at the time, but little did we know. It was a time of innocence that would be awakened by the events of life – college, military, marriages, divorces, children, careers, illnesses and deaths. What we then considered to be the destination was really just the beginning of our journey.
Eleven classmates and spouses gathered to celebrate the years that have passed since commencement. We had spent years together in the halls and classrooms of various Aiken schools, our last three in the wings of an Aiken High that no longer exists. Those buildings have been replaced by a new, magnificent facility on the same footprint that we knew so well.
For a few hours on Saturday, however, those old walls were once again raised as memories of classmates, teachers and events poured from recesses of the brain that had not been accessed in years.
"Whatever happened to …?”
“It was a shame about Coach Frazier passing.”
“Do you remember painting the water tower? Did you get into trouble?”
“Who do you think had the best car in our class?”
“Coach Lee was the strongest man I’ve ever seen.”
“Did you have Mrs. Verenes? We had the best English teachers.”
“I drove a bus and got $35 a month.”
With tasty hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and sodas for our palates, we recalled times that left an indelible mark on us – some for better, some for worse. There was laughter, lots of laughter as we recalled times and people past and our own younger selves. We shook our heads at things we had done as teens and marveled about the accomplishments that adulthood provided.
Fortunately, my wife and I left before the discussion turned to the most embarrassing moments in high school. Perhaps that was never broached later in the evening, but we all had at least one of those occasions when something happened that we thought we’d never overcome. Perhaps a terrible date. Maybe a snub by someone we liked. Going to the wrong class at the wrong time. Or worse.
If that question had come up, I would have had to share a terrifying moment that happened in front of the entire school. Near the conclusion of each year, we had intramural basketball games. Each of the three classes at AHS provided a boys’ and a girls’ team. Tenth graders played the 11th grade teams, with the winners playing the seniors.
The games were played at the start of the day in front of the whole student body – a gym packed with a din of noise and blurred colors. As a member of the senior team, I spent most of the game on the bench while the more accomplished players ran up a sizable lead. The difference got so great that us benchwarmers were given a chance to play.
As point guard, I brought the ball up the court and looked over the defense. No one seemed to notice that I had the ball, so I continued to move toward the basket. Uncontested I drove in for what should have been an easy layup. Never having played in front of so many people, however, I was a bundle of nerves as I jumped with wobbly knees and sent the ball toward the basket.
The ball went straight up and then straight down without touching backboard, rim or net. It was an air ball on a wide-open layup, one of basketball’s most bizarre plays and one of my most embarrassing moments ever.
Fortunately embarrassing moments were not brought up at our gathering last weekend, so those in attendance won’t have the chance to hear about an event that still puts me in a cold sweat 55 years later.
“And what a time it was.”
