If Only In My Mind Curt Johnson CHS ‘74 It is amazing that in this 20-year period of time, so many things have remained the same, if only in my mind. A Julie Williams laugh, Marty Biley’s smile, Peter Van Middlesworth in costume, Peter Stevens running the mile, Mr. Bakes in the back of the room sleeping, The old locker rooms creaking, Couples sneaking Jimmy Allen streaking, It is amazing that in this 20-year period of time, so many things have remained the same, if only in my mind. Cliff Williams and his horn, A speedy Bob Thorn, Kris Wagner’s mini-skirt, Marla Jantzer to flirt, Standing in the halls, Trying to catch John Webb’s firey fastballs, Walking up to the café known as The Spot, Having snowball fights in the parking lot. Amazing in a 20-year period of time, that so many things have remained the same, if only in my mind. Arguing in American Studies Class, Friday night football and the smell of the grass, Mr. Stebbins in the woods, Rick McKibben under the hood, Norman Matheus and his prose, Charlie Hopewell on the go, Julie Hull on the bus ride home from school, Daryll Smith and I acting like a fool, It’s amazing that 20 years has gone bye and so many things remain the same, if only in my mind. Roni Korner singing at graduation, Sandy Woodcock’s Craft Fair Demonstration, Mr. Tinseth and Physics’ Class dance production, “Lee Kanaus to the office, please” was an easy deduction, Sharon and Susan, the Allen twins, Irene Schwebs kicking me in the shins, Paul Sellers and all of the stats, Vickie Mallory and Debbie Caster helping with the mats, 20-years has gone bye in this time? so many things remain the same, if only in my mind. Janice Holden and her soft speech, Is Karen Friesen’s hair really streaked? State Baseball and finishing second place, Johnny Saxbury in my face, Varsity cheerleaders looking so fine, Mr. Bowser policing the lunch line, In the office with Hoffine in his chair, Mr. Jaquette virtually no where, I guess 20-years has gone bye, yet so many things remain the same, if only in my mind. Herb Courier and his practical jokes, The tree near campus where a few went to smoke, Where did Sophronia Lusk get her name? Those basketball warm-ups, man it’s a whole new game, Gene King upstairs with the weights, Mr. Straughan steering the bus straight, FFA, FHA, SAE and the Order of the ‘C’, All of those initials meant something to me! 20-years is a long time, some things remain the same, if only in my mind. Morning announcements with Jim Markillie’s infamous COOKIE, Hormones, testosterone and thinking about nookie, The Prom, Spring Formal, Spring Fling, and car smashes, Raffles, pep assemblies, and Homecoming bonfire ashes, BEOG, NDSL, ACT and SAT college bound boards, Am I really ready for college, oh! Good Lord, Typing I with Miss Harris from the back of the class, Why didn’t I pay more attention when she went over that? 20-years and counting is quite a time, some things remain the same, if only in my mind. Jay Godley and our trips gone fishing, Wonderful cafeteria food only for the dishing, Selling concessions so we can build that all weather track, Maybe it will be finished the next time we get back, Senior Skip Day at Fish Lake with Palmer, Botsford, Matejka and beer, It’s a good thing we decided to get far away from here, Working from early until late on that Homecoming float, Hearing the band play our school song and the lump in my throat, It is amazing at this time, so many things remain the same, if only in my mind. Now we are all older, and sometimes wiser, although our parents and our children might disagree, Twenty years past Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Four memories of CHS are still quite real to me, At graduation plus ten, I can still recall, Teri Skiles with her family, she had made it her all, How true those things so comforting we once sought to flee, And are now the very things many of us seek to be, Marking twenty years for us in time, so many things remain the same, if only in my mind. Let us not forget those classmates who have passed before, Nor those of us to follow shall we choose to ignore, We will hold them close and near to our hearts, And remember them today, always, and especially when gathering in these parts, And so to you my Crater High Class of 1974: “Crater is greater and getting greater all the time” We are here once again to mark our place in time, It is truly amazing that in this twenty-year period of time, For this moment, one sweet moment, so many things have remained the same, only…if only in my mind. ###