Cubberley Class of 1980

That's the class Tom would have graduated from if they hadn't closed his high school between his junior and senior year. So instead Tom graduated in the Palo Alto Class of 1980.

Now, after 30 years alot of these kids have found each other on facebook and decided it was time for the first reunion of the Class of 1980 from Cubberley High, Palo Alto, California.

And that is how we ended our trip to California. We had fun meeting all Tom's friends from high school and getting to know them. For me it was a new experience to be in a large group of people, most of whom were toting a can of beer or some other alcoholic beverage.

We left the party Saturday night about an hour before it ended and while looking at the photos later, Tom commented, "I think the party got wild after we left." Since we've been home, Tom said, "When my two friends came and told me how they feel...I think they were sloshed." Because I grew up in Utah, that just wasn't something that happened in my neighborhoods or schools. I asked Tom if we were the only members at the festivities and he said, "No, there was this guy and that guy, too." Five or six of us in 150 people. Very different than what I'm used to, but I never felt out of place or weird because I wasn't doing what they were doing.

All in all, I think Tom was part of a pretty good group of kids/people. Since we've been home some of the comments we've read thanked us for coming, commented on how much they enjoyed meeting me and the kids, and, my favorite, calling me "the love of Tom's life." I just love that phrase!

A couple of Tom's friends told about a time when they decided to dig a fox hole in the backyard. They got it about 4 feet deep and ran into hard clay. So they filled it with water, thinking it would soften the clay. After four days the clay was still hard so they covered the water hole with a towel and then a truck tire and built an obstacle course. The goal was to get Tom and a couple other boys to run the obstacle course, fall into the hole filled with water, and get mad at them and chase them around the yard.

Well, all was going well until Tom fell into the hole of water...climbed out of the hole and finished the obstacle course. It definitely wasn't the reaction the two boys wanted, but it was so Tom!

Tom also took us to tour his old high school. It is a number of buildings that contain classrooms. The "halls" were only covered overhead by a roof, but other than that it was open to the weather with the class buildings on either side. The lockers were on the sides of the buildings. So virtually they were outside except for when they were in class. I'd never seen a school built like that, but in Palo Alto where the weather is so temperate year round...why have walls and air conditioning?

I'll end with one of my favorite quotes from one of Tom's classmates...

"Mid-life sure beats teen angst!"

I've always said life STARTS at 40!!!