Glenna Stearman Park, 2015
Class reunions and the stories and obituaries on our Class of 1960 website have connected me to people that I wish I had known or had known better. Since we graduated almost 65 years ago, we have lived amazing lives e as a group and as individuals. I wrote the comments below after reading the web page obituaries for Jim Brammer and Kent Vickery.
Reading about Jim Brammer’s interest in Hopi culture makes me wish I had been smart enough to ask about his observations of the Southwest tribes. I did talk to Kent Vickery about his degree in archaeology, but never enough. I remember meeting Jim and Kent in the 2nd grade at College Hill Elementary. I do regret not knowing them later, especially because of their interest in Native
American culture. What I think about is how much we have missed out on so many INFORMATIVE CONVERSATIONS. Yet, from this web page I have learned that people I barely knew have pursued fascinating careers and studied in a wide variety of fields. We are fortunate to have these second chances!
When I was teaching in Texas, one of my bosses told me that her education degree paper had focused on a school in Wichita as the number one example of a truly great high school. Then she told me that it was East High and that it had a stellar national reputation. I laughed and told her it was impossible, that I went there, and it was just a regular high school. Now, of course since I have read about various classmates, I have reconsidered our encounters with each other and am proud of our class, our school. In my older age, I am feeling more appreciative of tha range of skills and achievements. During the reunions, I have always tried to sit with classmates I did not know very well, and make a more informed friendship.
Editor’s Note: Glenna hopes to attend the 65th reunion in person. We hope so, too! She has been one of this website’s most prolific and versatile authors. You can find a list of her stories and see her artwork by typing “Glenna” into the search box at the top of the Community page.
