The Class of 1971

What I find interesting about this picture is that I'm related to three of the six in this photograph.

Debby at the top is the granddaughter of my grandfather's first cousin. Now I never could really figure out how that whole thing about first and second and third cousins worked.

On the left is Pam Williams. She was the granddaughter of my Aunt Ida, the sister of my grandfather.

Aunt Ida worked in the Evans family store for a very long time. I always remember how kind she was.

And Dixie Pilgrim at the right, well, her mom was a Ward. I think her mom's dad and my great grandfather were possibly brothers or cousins. I don't remember for sure exactly.

Of the others, an uncle of Marie Jones told me once that my dad was his favorite cousin, but I'm not sure how or even if we were related.

I do know, however, that Marie and Dixie always watched out for me. I viewed them as my friends. They were like "mother hens" with people in our class, and I always felt they were my friends.

I lived in the same neighborhood, though our house was probably 400 yards from where this picture happens. It's fun to see a photograph like this.

The only two people in the photograph, that I don't say are related, are Dotty Thorpe and Ann Thomas. I married Ann.

After our engagement, I found out that we had common ancestry as well. Back several generations, there was a connection in the Morse family line, but we are very distantly related.

This irritates my children. It's that whole "Arkansas" thing. Cles and Lydia, my two oldest, basically say this: "Just don't tell me any more." They didn't grow up in a small town, where something like this could be a problem.

What I really love about this picture is seeing my Annie and the fun she has always been. It was no exception in this time: a time when gas was cheap, a time when life was simple, a time when we wallowed in friendships.

We knew each other from early times. When I was five, Dixie and I played together at each other's houses. The last time was just as we were in first grade. Both of us were opinionated, and during an argument, my mother interrupted us.

"If you two can't get along better than that, you can't play together."

And we didn't. Dixie found the friendships seen in this picture, and I had my friends, who also lived in the neighborhood, yet we always remained good friends. I view all my classmates that way.

I think it's because of the amount of time I actually spent on a ranch during the summer. So glad to see classmates in the fall, I enjoyed and savored every moment with them in school. It's why I love this picture.

It reminds me of good times. And it reminds me of one friend we lost to cancer in '05, which was the same time when I was so sick. The last time I spoke with Marie was briefly online. I had just finished chemo. Marie was also sick.

We commiserated and confessed how things always worked out for the best. Everyone who knew her misses her still, but the good news is that we still have a majority of the people in our class.

I hope it stays that way for a long time.