A shout out to Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson for the title. But isn’t that a great title to describe the high school dating scene back in the day. Nothing lasts forever. Everything has a lifespan. You most likely won’t go on to marry your high school girlfriend or boyfriend. I know there are exceptions to that rule. Even in the Slatington High School class of ’70, there are exceptions. I admire their tenacity and their long lasting love.
Alas, I am not one of them. So when I thought about writing on this topic I remembered the classic admonition not to kiss and tell! But then I thought to myself, this is over fifty years ago so who cares! Haha. Don’t worry, no graphic details. This is a family blog. Haha again.
Let me set the scene. I went to Slatington High School from the Fall of 1966 to June of 1970. This was the time of amazing societal changes in music, in television, in movies, and in fashion. It was the time of hippies and free love. But we are talking Slatington here and things weren’t really that much different dating-wise than they were in the previous generation. It was still a time of raging hormones though, much like adolescence since the beginning of time.
I had three girlfriends, not at the same time, in my high school career. First names only, they were Barbara, Susan, and Suzie. While I was “going with” Barbara she was really in love with a senior track star. We were both freshmen. Yeah, that didn’t last. Susan and I were both sophomores. I didn’t have a car yet. We would meet at the library and I would walk her home. We would make the steep climb up Diamond Street and kiss goodnight under the streetlight near her home. Yeah, she dumped me for an upperclassman wrestler. Oh well. Life goes on. My senior year was taken up by a fascination with Suzie, a sophomore. I had a car then and we would go “parking” on an old road near Victory Park. Interestingly, Susan and her wrestler would often be on the same road! The irony! Suzie and I ended when I graduated, thus ending my high school romantic escapades.
I don’t want to leave out a “friend date” I had with an avid reader of this blog. Bonnie and I went to see Gone With the Wind when it was re-released into theaters. Wow, that was a long movie. I thought it was over and it was only an intermission. We had a good time!
Looking back I have few regrets about this dating time. Perhaps I would have enjoyed my senior year more if I had not spent so much time with Suzie. Under my yearbook picture it is mentioned that I have a little blonde shadow. That was Suzie. She died a couple years ago and it was a really weird feeling when I found out, even though I had not seen her in over thirty years.
I hope this brought back some good memories from your own high school dating years. After all, one thing this blog is about is sparking good memories from a great time of life. But, enough reminiscing for today. I know some of you have to go to work. I don’t. I am semi-retired!
A Semi-retired Kind of Life 