Jack Habich

Sometimes I feel like the messenger of death on this board, but that's just the way things are falling lately.  The last few messages have been profound.  Got me thinking.

Cheryl Turner (Hitzner)

Makes you realize that in the great scheme of things, we are really only on this earth for a short time; some shorter than others.  We take so many things for granted and people and always think there is time.  Every day is a gift and we should utilize that gift to the fullest.  All of my family is gone except for my son and grandchildren and I try to treasure every moment spent with them.  Unfortunately, we are all getting to the age where there are no guarantees.

Jack Habich

Helen, yes, Suzy is missed, and glad you like her pic on the Home Page. 

I think the 50's and 60's black and whites work well on the Home Page, and this gives me the opportunity for a request that goes out to everyone.  We'd like to change those up now and then, and if you have some black and white photos you wouldn't mind sharing, please e-mail them to jhab@aol.com as an attachment (or send me a message and I'll give you my regular address...I'll scan and return).

This way, we can build up a library of photos to use.

Group photos do not work well because it's hard to make out who's who  in a smaller scale..  Thanks.

p.s.  we'll take color photos too

Ed Stanfield

sadly, I have none!

Milan Jackson

Happy Easter my friends. Thank you for accepting me on your site. You have been an inspiration.

Terry (Max) Maxwell

I second that Milan...  HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

Came down to B'ton Thursday night to see my dad and stayed until this afternoon.  Had breakfast at Shannon's (hit the buffet) and then took a walk over to Miller Park and went through the zoo.  It has been a long time since I've been there. It has changed quite a bit. 

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Jack, I have tons of pictures thrown in several boxes and unorganized.  Our kids will hate us if we don't get them orgainized soon.  I'm being forced to go through them, so as I run across ones that our class would be interested in, I will certainly forward them to you.  We went out to eat tonight and it's Prom Night at several local Colorado Springs Schools.  Poor girls had sleeveless and strapless dresses on and it was snowing and cold outside.  Can't remember ever having snow at a Prom, but can remember going to Prom our Junior year and it rained.  It was a great Prom but miserable weather.  We went bowling at Oakland Bowl then rode a Hayrack to a barn and had a barn dance.  Can't remember the name of the band, but it wasn't the Shattertones.  I do remember they were good.  It was so much fun and one I'll always remember.

Harriett (Holly) Rust (Wood)

 I am headed home to Colorado the middle of May and one of the projects on my list is to go through photos...when I do, I will send you any good ones I find, Jack.

As to each of us facing loss more often these days, I developed a deep appreciation of how short our time here might be as a sophomore in high school when Geof Proctor died in a freak accident.  He was four years ahead of us and spent as much or more time with my family as with his own.  I considered him my older brother and even named my son after him.  His death made me tell myself that I was going to try to live each day with gratitude for the opportunity I had and to try not to waste those opportunities.  Some days I have done that better than others.  

I am only a year younger than my Dad was when he died and that has really been sobering to consider. I do not feel old (except some mornings) and I know he didn't either.  He worked a full day on a Friday, went to the hospital on Saturday, and was gone in less than two weeks.  Although he had been fighting some health issues, no one foresaw his rapid decline.  He was a great example to me of Carpe Diem.

So my thoughts are with you Jack, and Mel and Marvin and anyone else who is facing or recently faced the loss of a loved one or friend.  It doesn't get easier, but somehow it isn't as shocking as it used to be and we deal with it better.

I am really grateful to have this opportunity to reconnect with so many of you.  Your absence in my life has lasted far too long!

Have a wonderful day!

Milan Jackson

Thanks to help from friends in the Class of 1964, we now know where Mary Pat Hayes lives. We are down to 10 missing classmates. Keep the clues coming. We can get more.

Holly, that was well said.

Jack Habich

Yes, Helen, Holly and others, send old pictures.  If only one person on this site is interested in the picture, isn't that 100 times better than that picture laying buried in a box in the basement (where I found Suzy's)?

Rocky (my friend in hospice) is still breathing, though they started shutting him down last Friday. His pulse is now 140.  Interesting how the mind tries to keep you alive while the body eventually says "just can't do this anymore".

Very good post, Holly.

Jack Habich

Ed, what happened to your pictures? 

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Holly, you have said so much to illuminate the feelings we all have at one time or another. Especially powerful to me was the age relationship to your father. Marvin and I lost our Dad when he was only 56 and both of us were frightfully conscious of the day we became older than him. When Mom passed away last month, I, by accident of being 12 minutes older than Marv, became the oldest member of our immediate family. For me age seems almost meaningless because it is an intangible part of living. The tangibles are the things we do.

You are absolutely right, we are better on some days than others, but the cumulative pages of our lives start to add up. After many losses in the past few years, I have found myself not to be a good mourner. Because the lives of those I now miss were so rich with meaning, I have taken to the idea of celebrating them. We do great justice to them and to ourselves when we value the best parts of a life lived well.

Jack, you have not become the messenger of death, you have simply remained loyal as a friend to so many of us because you care deeply. Of all the experiences I have had with you in the past 10 years or so, the thing I have been most impressed by is the constant vigilance you bring to everyone being in touch and involved with each other. At the heart of it, your caring IS that life well lived.

I have struggled for years to write a book about Russia, which I may never finish, but in the attempt, I have come to believe that every life is an epic. That includes some of my close childhood friends like Chuck Massey and Bob Bower with whom I had lost complete contact after high school. Now is the time to act, not when we are lost to each other.

Let's keep this Forum going so we never again have to say, I'm sorry I wasn't there.

Milan Jackson

One of my favorite thngs said on this site was from Holly.

"I am really grateful to have this opportunity to reconnect with so many of you.  Your absence in my life has lasted far too long!"

I think that says it all about a site like this one.

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Jack, could you please refresh me on Rocky's true name?  I think I know who you're talking about, but not absolutely certain!

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Beverly Lowery Berry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Jack Habich

Helen, Rocco (Rocky) did not go to BHS (the thought of that strikes interesting images) nor is he from Bloomington. 

He is just a colorful character that I met in my neighborhood about 6 years ago, and we got to be friends.  He was 10 years older.  About 5 weeks ago he told me "it's a bad bet from here on out".  He called it.

He just died about 3 hours ago.  As I visited with his family, and his body, in his room, a couple of funeral home people came, wrapped him in a thick plastic cover and then a black zippered bag.  As I got on the elevator to leave, it was just the funeral home guys, me, and Rocco's body in a black bag on a dollie.  On the way up, I thought about all the good times we had and the verbal jousting we used to do. Once outside, they rolled him into the back of  a regular van and drove off .

How abruptly our last chapter ends.

I agree.  We should not go to funerals because people died, but because people lived. 

Judith (Judy) McLean (Wilder)

Jack, so sorry for the loss of your friend.  I do love what you said and totally agree that you should never go to a funeral because someone died but because they lived and touched our lives in some way. 

I remember when my father died at age 49, everyone was saying what a shame that he died so young.  Well at 11 years old I knew that 49 was younger than most other people I knew who had died but didn't really realize just how young that was until I had my 49th birthday.  He really was young! My mother died 12 years ago at 84 years of age.  It was very strange to suddenly realize that my brothers and I are now the older generation...that's a real eye opener!!!  We have to make the most of the time that God gives us!! That's a good reason to stay in touch with old friends. 

How did we all get on this death thing?  I'm beginning to not feel so well...maybe we could change the subject. 

Hope everyone had a great Easter.  We just got back from seeing Sue and she is working hard on her rehab but still needs our prayers.  She said "hi" to you all. 

Cheryl Turner (Hitzner)

Jack, I am so sorry for the loss of your friend.  But you really didn't lose him because he will be with you forever.

Holly, you have such an eloquent way with words.  What a beautiful post.

Ed Stanfield

We all seem to be thinking and sayig the same things today.

Jack, nothing happened to my pictures... there never were any from our senior year, the only year I was with y'all.... or if there were, I never had or saw them!

I too am within a year of my dad's age when he died. I well remember passing my grandfather's age. I too have lost all my immediate older family...parents, grandparents, stepfather.. now there are just 2 aunts and uncles and they are in their mid to late 80's and are frail and sick. It seems like yesterday that my uncles were robust young men, acting as father figures for me, theching me to fish, shoot, hunt and have almost a reverence for the woods and rivers of North Alabama. Now the rods and rifles are stored, the boats are unused, and they spend their days reliving the past and wondering what comes next.

I spent 45 years out of contact with all of you and I am so glad that Marv and Mel contacted me for the last reunion. It is very pleasant to rekindle friendships that were lost for decades, and to learn a great deal about folks that I never got to spend much time with.

I find myself coming to this forum a half dozen times a day to see what is new and who is saying what - about whom!

Milan, I don't think you and I have ever laid eyes on each other, but I am grateful for what you have done with the website and the interest you have generated here.. we are all the richer for it.

Y'all warm this old rebel's heart!

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

It's wonderful that the Message Forum has come to life for all of us allowing us to reconnect.  What a neat way to catch up on where everyone is and what we've all done over the years.  Also, it's exciting that we are all on the same page with one another.  Hopefully clicks are in our pasts since we all have grown up and out (no punn intended?).  I guess I better speak for myself!!!  No matter where we've been or what we've accomplished, we enjoy reliving our years at different schools in the Bloomington/Normal area.  We're all growing old together and have much appreciation of lifes experiences.  We no longer take our lives for granted but are thankful for each day as if it were our last!

Jack, please know we're all sad for the loss of your close friend, but happy that you had such a great friendship with Rocky!  there's a reason for everything.  Rocky's purpose was to enjoy life and meet good friends like you!  For this we are thankful!  

A quote that comes from Sue Ermantraut is, "We only live once but if we do it right, once is enough".  She is so right!

Jack Habich

Ed, I don't mean just BHS pics.  I mean if you have a black & white of you at age 14, in Alabama, chasing a Yankee off your lawn with a fishing knife, send it in.  We don't take sides here, and we're not geographically constricted...... we just want the drama.

Nancy Whiteman (Hoover)

Holly, what you said was beautiful and so true.

Jack, so sorry about your friend. Treasure all those memories.

Milan, I love this site. Holly's comment was right on the money. It is fun to hear how people are doing.

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Seeing all of these comments makes me want to yell, "GO RAIDERS!!!"

You guys really have your priorities in the right place. We obviously got more than a good education from our teachers. They were also great role models.

Jack , I am saddened at the loss of your friend Rocco. You are right, these things can be so abrupt. They can also be highly illuminating.

Just in case anyone is interested, Mary Selk turns 90 on Friday. And she remembers EVERYTHING about you. I'm not kidding. If you haven't seen her lately, there is a pleasant surprise for you on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaD_xTN1bZU

Harriett (Holly) Rust (Wood)

 Jack, you are so lucky to have had a friend like Rocky and he is equally luck to have had a truly caring friend like you.  As a kid I don't think I truly appreciated the person you are!

 But we were all so caught up in our own dramas at that age we often couldn't see what was happening in the lives of others.  Now that we're "mature" we have the time and the wisdom to truly appreciate what matters in life.  I have committed to enjoying all of you and have told my sister and brother to expect me in August because I am NOT going to miss the opportunity to get together with as many of you as possible!

And Judy, give Sue my love.  You are a great friend to her, and to us by sharing her progress.

I sat down at my computer to do some work, but was compelled to check out the message forum and I feel richer for the thoughts and feelings shared today.  Thanks everybody!!

Milan Jackson