Thursday, May 15, 2008

At Last


I received this picture from Don Nance without much of an explanation. I was as perplexed as you probably are. It appears that Don and Jennie Margaret and Gene Moore just graduated from something or other or had just been inducted into Mensa or the Elks or.............AND Don said that they missed me. (I was supposed to be there?)


Linda, my trusty sidekick, significant other and keeper helped solve the mystery. She said that I had gotten something from UNC inviting me to march in their commencement ceremonies which would be led by members of the class of 1958.


She had given me the letter but frankly I didn't read it. I just assumed that it was asking me for money, as usual....so I deep sixed it without looking at it. (Frankly I've made a number of trips back to Chapel Hill and admired all those mansions the professors are living in, and concluded that my old alma mata is doing just fine without money from me.)


Later, Don filled me in on the rest of the details:


Ed.


I am not very good at writing notes for the web. Jennie would do a much better job, and she and Bill were at Carolina for the whole event.

It was commencement at UNC. We, the class of 1958, were invited to return for a reunion and to lead the procession of graduates. The event started on Friday with tours and dinners, but all I cared to do was walk with that group of old folks at commencement. About 200 were to be attending, but I believe the rain prevented a few from coming. We did have around 150 present. We met at the field house at Kenan Stadium, donned our blue robes, and a medallion commemorating our 50 years since graduation. We exited the field house in pouring rain, walked around the podium, and returned to the fieldhouse. Meanwhile, spouses stayed in the fieldhouse out of the rain and watched from the balcony.

It was great seeing and visiting with Jennie, Bill, and Gene. I did get to visit with people I have not seen for fifty years (glad we had nametags). Most of us who still have hair, have gray hair. So many folks have changed, but Jennie has remained the same.

-Don
Ahhhh, the good old days! It's hard to imagine a more beautiful and wonderful place to be in the springtime than Chapel Hill, NC! -Ed



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