This past Sunday my alma mater York High School hosted its graduation ceremony. It was held at the football stadium (Clarence D. East Field to you old timers) on a beautiful warm and sunny day. The bleachers were packed butts to guts as were all other spots to witness the class of 2024 as they walked across the stage to get their diplomas.
As we all know, the commencement event marks the end of one part of the students’ lives and the start of everything else. These young folks had to endure remote learning in their first ever semester at York thanks to COVID and they now see a world full of plenty of other challenges. The whole Israel/Palestinian/Gaza conflict, our own country sharply divided in politics and loads of social issues, not to mention another contentious presidential election that will take place in November. I wish them all the luck they can get.
As I drove by York’s event, I saw some late arriving family members rushing in with balloons, cards, bouquets of flowers and all sort of things to help celebrate the day. A block north of Saint Charles Road, some kids around age 10 or so, were peddling freshly made lemonade. I pulled my car over and asked how much. The drinks were free as the kids explained they were doing this to celebrate graduation day! I thanked them for the drink and said in a couple of eye-blinks, THEY’LL be the ones graduating high school. They smiled and waved as I pulled away.
This June will mark the 45th year since I graduated from York at that very same football field. Earlier that day in 1979, my family took in a lunch at the Café Parisien on North Avenue as a pre-grad celebration. After the ceremony while my dad drove my sister and grandparents back home, my mom and I ended up walking the half mile home together. Once at the house. we enjoyed cake and gifts. The best one being the Norelco electric razor I asked for and my grandpa Kahler gave me. I also got a cool steamer trunk for future moves.
Then it was time for me to go out with friends and party it up a bit. We ended up at a classmate’s house (I’ll withhold that person’s name) because the beer bash was packed enough to draw the police who swooped in to break up the fun. I recall some girl cried out that she’d been maced! Next, it was me and three pals heading out for late night beers at Stimac’s bar in Hillside and I rolled into my bed that night at about two a.m.
That summer of 1979 I spent working at White Castle, playing American Legion baseball and seeing most of my buddies leave to attend college out of town. I did a year and a half at College of Du Page then scooted off to S.I.U. before settling my academics down for a three stint at Elmhurst College (now called Elmhurst University) and graduating in May of 1984. The five-year plan wasn’t such a bad deal. Ten months after that I was hired to be Larry Lujack’s producer and writer at WLS AM. The rest after that was a crazy and memorable history.
But this all started with graduating from York High School. Just like the class of 2024 has just done. If those young people have just half the fun, adventures and success that I landed in my post-grad life, they should consider themselves lucky. Heck, I wish them even more than that!
NEXT BLOG- Summer’s Coming.