It really is a small world.
One of my better talents is an ability, while traveling just about anywhere, to find someone I know. My children make bets on it.
While we were at Disneyworld a couple of years ago, my daughter pointed out that I hadn’t found anyone I knew. It only took me about an hour to find a-familiar face.
I’m a face savant, though. I might not remember names, but I never forget a face. My most memorable sighting was one time in San Antonio. I was attending a play, and spotted someone I knew. The man was a little annoyed when I pointed out to him that his face was familiar.
Later on, it came to me (and he agreed) that he was the same guy who, in Laredo about 10 years before, watched Neil Armstrong take the first step on the moon on our family’s TV set. There had been a group of people at the pool area of the apartments where we lived at the time, and my Dad yelled out the door inviting anyone in earshot to come witness the event.
Speaking of spottings, Elizabeth Pritchett, a retired homemaking teacher at Lake Highlands High School (1988 was her last year), told me about a recent American Airlines flight she took between Richmond, Va., and Dallas. Elizabeth looked up and realized the flight attendant in her section was none other than Jennifer Borland, one of her former students and a 1987 graduate.
Someone also told me about a LH graduate spotted on a chair lift in Colorado, wearing a heavy sweatshirt adorned with the school name.
If you’re traveling through Norman, Okla., be on the lookout for Melinda McCrocklin Morris, class of 1984. She’s teaching and working on her Ph.D. in political communication at the University of Oklahoma.
Her mom, Linda Ling, reports that after college, Melinda worked for Congressman Mike Synar, who passed away earlier this year. Melinda was the school mascot in 1984, her senior year — “the year the head was stolen.”
We got the mascot head back, didn’t we, Melinda? Hopefully, this incident won’t come back to haunt Melinda if she decides to get back into big-time politics.
I can imagine the interview with Connie Chung: “Relax, now, Ms. Morris…It’s just you and me here…not millions of television viewers…they never got the mascot head back. Am I right?”
I mentioned in last month’s column that I had too much information and too little space. Well, I received the following unattributed information via the FAX machine. (Remember? “Southwest Sportswear” — no phone number, no name.)
Homecoming ’95 had two homecoming queens. Someone announced at the time that this was the first time such a thing had happened at Lake Highlands High School.
WRONG, my correspondent tells me — there were two winners in 1969. They were Patti Tate and Barbara Harris. Also at the ’69 event, Patti was wearing the exact same dress as another contender, Barbara Yarborough. (Were they long-sleeved, lime green and crimson paisley mini-dresses like the “sock-it-to-me” girls wore?)
Finally, concerning a name from last month’s “nickname” column. I was told that ’65 graduate Jim “Moose” Frank was never thrown for a loss during his varsity football career. That’s pretty amazing! Moose lives in Lake Highlands and is married to LH grad Madelyn Miller.
And one more thing! I’ll bet Moose never showed up at any school social event wearing the same shirt as Bink, Peefar, Mouse or Slick — unless maybe it was a football jersey!
Send us some information about any of the class reunions held this summer, too. I’m happy to pass along the news.
