Carl talked me into a pre-Thanksgiving tradition, among classmates of the year I graduated Poly, meeting somewhere for drinks and food. I've been in occasional contact with Carl over the years, amplified lately by Facebook and some nostalgia, and some attitude adjustments. We were co-writers, along with Tom, of a high school musical, though we mainly wrote attempted jokes, and I did sneak one set of song lyrics in.
The classes at Poly were, and mostly still are, stratified among A Course, B Course and T Course, though I think the names have changed. Certainly the luster has tarnished from the "Poly Seal" - as noted in the Sunpapers last August (letter to the Editor; original article not found).
The Poly - City football game was held on Thanksgiving (that's today) for years, but has faded to an earlier time (see article). It's now only the private high schools Calvert and Loyola that rate the fan and media attention for such an occasion. Poly won this year, but who knew?
I've only been to one reunion, and that was 5 years after I left school. The idea of getting together and reminiscing about the good times is strange, as I like to think the best times are ahead, not behind. The "A Course" was the top of the school, as demonstrated by academic achievements. Since that time, these graduates should have gone on to change the world. What I heard last night was some tales about the old days, some semi-boasts about offspring and careers, but not much about shaking the earth. I heard about fears of going into the city, the unhappy looks of people around Lexington Market, and the general sense that the world was "better then" than now.
I'm not sure that I'll go back again. But I do thank Carl for extending the olive branch so I could see what's happened to the best of the best.
Danny demonstrates the school colors. He was even wearing the "Poly ring."
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