Well, the first thing that can be done comes from you, the Reitz Class of 1967 yourselves. I mentioned it in passing on the website at the very beginning, before the major events occurred, i.e., the nearly 100% successful conclusion of the hunt for lost classmates; the building of the class database; the construction of the class website, the production of the class directory; the planning and and execution of what began as the Howell Shelter Cookout that quickly turned into the Spring Get Together of 2011 (unofficially, the Surprise 44th), the photo CD, and now the Gulf Condo Class Fundraiser, the not forgotten production of the digital version of Reflections for those of you who have lost their yearbooks (I've been a little busy lately and I know, I've only got myself and Linda to blame). I also built another website for my stepdaughter's Cat and Kitten Rescue in Mobile AL (www.projectpurr-al.org) along the way. I had to remind self of what has gone on in the last year. Whew!
Back on topic, back then, I mentioned that I would love, and I think your classmates would too, to be able to click on your website entry on the Classmates pages and get a short bio of what you've done over the past 44. I know, I know, you can't do that. You're too busy, you don't have a way with words, you're not entirely happy with the way things turned out, you don't think you've had a very exciting life, all you did was just got married and had kids, I know the list just goes on and on why you can't tell us about yourself.
If everyone had taken that attitude, the 44 never would have happened and you remember how that turned out? Everyone there took that extra step out of their way, rearranged things for that one night to make some collective magic. It's time to do it again.
We far too often look for reasons why something cannot be done rather than looking for ways to get it done. I say if we can do what we have already done, we can certainly do this too. I believe that there is no life that has not served a purpose: I doubt that even what some might consider an ordinary life is really all that ordinary. Think of all the obstacles life has tried to put in your way. Yet here you are, bowed a little, but unbroken.
I don't want anyone telling me that getting married out of high school and raising a passel of kids and watching them turn out to be worthy adults isn't worth a lifetime achievement award. I can tell you about jobs with companies that I would still be doing if the companies hadn't gone belly up. I can tell you about businesses I've started that ended up short of money without making it over the top. If you've got a golden goose story, we want to hear it too! Fact of the matter is that everyone has a story and everyone wants to know your story too.
Hey, this is the Westside. Chances are some of us know most of it already. This will just be your chance to set the record straight for your classmates. I'm not talking about a novel (not everybody is as wordy as I am [thank heavens] or no one would get anything done) I admit my autobiography in my Wayne class blog is the first time I ever attempted to explain, no relate, my life to anyone (wvhs67.blogspot.com) and it's not easy. But it is cleansing in a way. On the one hand, it makes you step back and take stock of yourself. On the other hand, it tells your classmates what happened. Why you didn't become a doctor, lawyer, indian chief. That's what I told my classmates. How did Ralph (Ed) Branch get to work with blind folks; how did Bruce Alan Seegert end up commuting between Denali Alaska and New Mexico? How did Linda Lively end up with some yakky Chinese guy from New Jersey? There are over 360 stories to tell, and I for one would like to hear every single one of them (except that last one. I know what happened and how it turned out)
So, first call for biographical blurbs. Don't make me ask Linda to start calling to collect stories.............We can also connect them to the class directory so that if you get the digital version and click on a classmate's photos, you get a pop-up little bio. Way cool!
On an entirely different note, we had our grandson run into Lowes and shoot a photo of Cecilia "Doodles" Dillworth and post it up on the website at the bottom of the West Terrace page. Doodles went to West Terrace with Linda and up through freshman year. I've been getting helped by her at Lowes for years without knowing that she was a classmate too!We are officially over the $1000 mark for the Orange Beach Condo drawing fundraiser. Reitz Class of 67, you've done it again; exceeded expectations and reached another milestone. And there's still time to enter the race to Orange Beach. Call or email Linda Yuan, Nancy Burke, Patty Qualls, Bob Willis or Tommy Lee Waterman (he's out of town for a few days but everyone else is available.) What's that Lotto saying? "You can't win it if you ain't in it" or something like that.
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