| Cruisin' the Past |
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| Cruisin’ the Past by Ed Dooley |
Prospectus
The four years at Catalina High School represent a very brief span in our lives, but they
were formative years and worth remembering. Moreover, if you grant my premise, they
were years that mark a clear turning point or watershed in the history of our society and
nation: by 1960, one era was coming to a close and another – more challenging, more
exciting, more dangerous, and more tragic – was beginning.
There is almost no limit to the number of topics worth writing about in this proposed
column. My goal will be not just to engage in a little nostalgia (I’ll try to avoid the Camelot
effect), but also to try to put things into perspective from the vantage point of fifty years
out and, where possible, to sharpen our focus on those distant times.
Here’s how I propose to proceed. Each column will cover some topic of general interest.
Most of the topics will focus on our time at Catalina High School, but some will wander off
in related directions such as, perhaps, “Speedway as we knew it” or “Radio days and
drive-in nights” or “Out of the desert: trips to Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and
Redington Pass” or “When grebus and dorf were our watchwords.” Each column will end
with a request for feedback and information from readers that I will use in the subsequent
column. The two columns will be linked, therefore, with the first setting the stage and the
second amplifying the first. In this way we can ensure that this is not my story but our
story: the story of the Class of 1960. I don’t know how well this will work, but I’m willing to
give it a try.
As time goes by, I also hope to piece together a general profile of the class based on
information that can be gleaned from our yearbook, The 1960 Torch, subsequent reunion
booklets produced by Emily Kittle Morrison and her associates, and information from
readers. In the long-run, I think a profile of the class could be the most meaningful result
to come from the column, something akin to the many books and studies entitled “What
ever happened to the class of 19….?” This will depend, of course, on how many of our
classmates participate in this little project.
I have no idea how many of our classmates are currently visiting the reunion website.
Perhaps it is a small number. I am convinced, however, that the number will grow as we
approach 2010. And as the number of readers grows, I hope that they will give me the
feedback, information, and guidance that I will need to improve the column and make it
more inclusive. With your help we’ll cast some light onto those distant days and we’ll have
a good time doing it.
To provide feedback, please contact me at the e-mail link provided below. I look forward
to hearing from you and thanks in advance for any comments, ideas, or suggestions you
may send.
The four years at Catalina High School represent a very brief span in our lives, but they
were formative years and worth remembering. Moreover, if you grant my premise, they
were years that mark a clear turning point or watershed in the history of our society and
nation: by 1960, one era was coming to a close and another – more challenging, more
exciting, more dangerous, and more tragic – was beginning.
There is almost no limit to the number of topics worth writing about in this proposed
column. My goal will be not just to engage in a little nostalgia (I’ll try to avoid the Camelot
effect), but also to try to put things into perspective from the vantage point of fifty years
out and, where possible, to sharpen our focus on those distant times.
Here’s how I propose to proceed. Each column will cover some topic of general interest.
Most of the topics will focus on our time at Catalina High School, but some will wander off
in related directions such as, perhaps, “Speedway as we knew it” or “Radio days and
drive-in nights” or “Out of the desert: trips to Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and
Redington Pass” or “When grebus and dorf were our watchwords.” Each column will end
with a request for feedback and information from readers that I will use in the subsequent
column. The two columns will be linked, therefore, with the first setting the stage and the
second amplifying the first. In this way we can ensure that this is not my story but our
story: the story of the Class of 1960. I don’t know how well this will work, but I’m willing to
give it a try.
As time goes by, I also hope to piece together a general profile of the class based on
information that can be gleaned from our yearbook, The 1960 Torch, subsequent reunion
booklets produced by Emily Kittle Morrison and her associates, and information from
readers. In the long-run, I think a profile of the class could be the most meaningful result
to come from the column, something akin to the many books and studies entitled “What
ever happened to the class of 19….?” This will depend, of course, on how many of our
classmates participate in this little project.
I have no idea how many of our classmates are currently visiting the reunion website.
Perhaps it is a small number. I am convinced, however, that the number will grow as we
approach 2010. And as the number of readers grows, I hope that they will give me the
feedback, information, and guidance that I will need to improve the column and make it
more inclusive. With your help we’ll cast some light onto those distant days and we’ll have
a good time doing it.
To provide feedback, please contact me at the e-mail link provided below. I look forward
to hearing from you and thanks in advance for any comments, ideas, or suggestions you
may send.
