I had to shine a Seniors shoes once. I hated that indignity back in September of 1958. He was there on Saturday night. Quite nice now, responsible, and was showing off pictures of his roughhouse grand kids.

The girl that you could never date, but dreamt about much too much was there. She was married for a third time to an oil man from somewhere.

Your class "Super Jock" was there. Not so finely chiseled as before and walking with a limp now, but still in your eyes, the guy who no one in the State could touch in his day.

The Class Clowns were there. The Soshes were there. The Class Beauties were there... Some still as gorgeous as before, some a little overweight, but still holding their heads high, you remember how beautiful they were in high school. They were showing off pictures of family.

The Guys with the Great Cars were there... Still talking about street racing, Frosties, A&W or "What did you do with that great looking 47 Ford you had?"

Even the one's that I didn't recognize were there, as before, filling in the backdrop of my youth. All these people were there, and lets face it, "you can't go back"…. but we DID go back. For one night in June we ALL went back.

The Faculty Members were there. Coaches and Teachers that had related something to you long ago that imprinted on your mind and had changed the way you did things from then on. Older now, somehow even wiser…. These were our "Sculptors". People who were dedicated enough to mold the individual person. People who we, in our immaturity would say, "why is he picking on me, I didn't do nothin'.".....Exactly!!
These people were trying to ignite in us; responsibility, focus, desire, deportment, and character. The real feelings you have for these "Sergeants of Education" comes later in life. Well, the admiration, respect, and love was there that Saturday night in June.
Thank you all for your speeches, your harping, your haranguing, the trips to the Vice Principals Office, the prodding, the poking, the bending, the mending, and molding, and in some cases the "swats".
Thank you for your sharing and caring, your hugs, your kindness, your nurturing, and your advanced knowledge of such traumatic subjects as menstrual cycles and sexual changes.

For one evening we all went back. The Hawthorne of our youth was there, vividly imprinted in our anecdotes of high school times. Thanks go out to all of you who were there Saturday June 13. You made this get together a magic time for all in attendance. We are all somehow magically tied together as brothers and sisters are, whether we like it or not. We are all Family. Why? Because being raised in Hawthorne California in mid century has made it so, and I for one, wouldn't want it any other way.

Yes, I had to shine a Seniors shoes once, but somehow that's become a fond memory....

John Baker