Boomer = Antique ?

The Gold Medal Class of Nathan Davis Public School 1967
I am in the 3rd row from the front, 2nd from the left - goofy looking with black glasses.

Above you can see the graduating class of Nathan Davis class of 1967.  I was a member of this memorable class but was really a junior member because I transferred in to this public school from a private Catholic school named St. Joseph and St. Anne in the Brighton Park community in Chicago Illinois.  

The year went by in a whirlwind so I wasn't able to make many lifetime friends between September and June of that year.  I doubt if many of these people would remember me today.  We had some characters in this class.  The alpha male was a kid named George. He loved to fight and loved to fight this hillbilly kid named Paul. Paul wasn't in our class but that didn't stop George from taking no insult from Paul. Paul had a bad habit, he was breathing the same air as George and he could not keep his mouth shut. Once every week or two the word would go out through the grapevine that there was going to be a fight after school.  The ass kicking would take place next to the laundry mat on Albany and Sacramento. Paul and George would get into it and two minutes later, his honor avenged, the fight would be over and Paul went off to lick his wounds and prepare for the next beating.  I just could not understand why Paul just couldn't shut his mouth around George. It did not make sense to me. 

As a new kid, I was fair game for bullying.  I accepted most of it with good natured humor and just kind of tried to blend into the woodwork as much as possible. Soon they grew weary of the game and started treating me as if I belonged.  In the boomer years being hazed was just part of the game.  It happened to everyone, except of course George, and you just got used to it. My eighth grade year was good.  I actually got fairly decent grades. Not honor roll but no failures. 

The other day I was looking at photographs on Flickr and happened upon one user's collection that featured a copy of his father's eighth grade class, circa 1967.  He described thus; "Scan of antique photo showing my father's grammar school graduating class."  Antique?  Good grief man, antiques are old things.  Something from 1967 can't be called an antique!  I felt so old when I read that.

Growing up on the Southwest side of Chicago was not always easy. You had to contend with all sorts of things, such as grumpy old ladies that hated baseball at seven in the morning, roller coasters that would attempt to pummel you to death, flying nuns intent on sending you to be with the Lord because you raised your hand.  On the other hand, there were many good times. Everyone who has read my book has loved it. I've sold enough copies of it to keep me securely employed at my day job!   This book is available at Amazon.com and at American Star Books.  The link below will take you directly to my page on both sites.  

Link to Amazon.com     (Click Here) 

Link to American Star Books   (Click Here) 

A free, no obligation, easily erased, sample of Glimpses of God  the story of growing up in the sixties and seventies on the Southwest side of Chicago is available for the asking.   (Click Here)