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The Good Old Days
In our youth we heard our grandparents talk of their "good old days". How could they refer to those times in that manner?
The Spanish Flu that took so many friends & relatives, WW I, the Stock Market crash, The Depression in 1930s were in that era.
As our parents aged we heard them refer to their "good old days". Again we wondered about their era. They had Pearl Harbor, WW II which brought about the black-outs, rationing with the little red stamps in a book, lack of gasoline - tires - nylons for the women.
We experienced all that but the hardships fell solely upon our parents. So - why were they their "good old days" Good??
We have aged (yes, hate to admit it). Now some of us refer to our "good old days". Our children & grandchildren are bound to wonder about how we could think of our past years in that manner.
We all know - they were truly the "good old days".
We played outside, rode bikes, roller skated (skates clamped on to our shoes with the use of a skate key). Spent time sitting talking with our pals (face to face - no chat lines).
When the street lights came on - it was time to go home. Windows were left open while we slept in hopes of a breeze on hot summer nights. We felt safe - no worries about getting killed by a classmate while attending school. Yes, times were good for us.
Some of our best times came when we were teenagers. We were teenagers in the BEST era ever, truly. Those years were spent with our classmates & friends at WHS. There weren't fast food places of today, we had Mike's across from West. Mrs. Tyler, Joann's mom, had the burgers cooked & ready for lunch periods. Drop a few coins in the jukebox, listen to "our" music, sip a coke, be with our classmates - those were the days.
WHS campus was one to be proud of (no bus loops). One was proud to say he/she attended WHS.
Remember gym classes with lockers in the basement? It was a long ways up to the 3rd floor for the next class. Always wondered about that scheduling.
Most of us walked to school (no wonder we kept "our girlish figures" back then gals).
There were proms, WH Days, talent shows, dances at the Y & Stardust Room, movies at the West End theater. Very social times.
We wore white buck shoes. No one made it through the day without being stepped on to dirty them .
Girls wore circle skirts made of yards of material. Long ways around when you ironed them!
No, girls were not allowed to wear jeans, slacks, or shorts to school back then.
There was a "great diversity" of friends at West.
We made friendships lasting throughout our lives.
It was the greatest era to be a teenager in. The era of Elvis the "King", the Platters, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Bill Haley - so many greats.
We had our loves, our break-ups, our make-ups, our heartaches during our years at West. The years spent at West with our friends & classmates are summed up by many of us simply by one word, "GREAT" !
Come share your memories with your fellow classmates & friends at WHS 50th Class Reunion.
We will have some old & new memories to take home with us.
Please - come join the festivities.
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"If wrinkles must be written upon brows, let them not be written upon the heart."
James A. Garfield
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