Now I Think I Know What I Didn’t Know Then
By Bill Black, Lost Colony Alumnus
Added - at last! - on 06/24/04
Thanks, Bill!
...
there was a link to NNHS.
Well, that one did it, Carol. That’s where I stopped. Having attended many high
school graduations as an
assistant principal, I recognized the introduction to Pomp and Circumstance
right away. I sat and listened
while I looked at the images of our old high school. As the introduction gave
way to the familiar strains
at which the graduates begin their
procession, I was awash in memories. I
went back years in my mind and
saw the Class of
‘59 lined up in the hall outside the
auditorium. And there was Dorothy Crane,
the drama
teacher,
making sure that we were all in step. She
stood in the hall by the entrance to the auditorium,
sweeping her hand in a huge arc
to keep us in step
as she called out,
left,
right,
left,
right
her voice
emphasizing the word left,
to make sure we all stepped forward
at the same time
on the
correct foot.
The effect
was that as the line moved up the ramp into the auditorium and down the incline
to our seats, every single
tassel swayed in the same direction at the same time.
We all swayed gently to the left,
then gently to the right.
Not being especially graceful nor having a good sense of rhythm, I had to watch
the student in front of me. I
kept my eyes on that foot in front of me to make sure I was putting the same one
forward at the same time!
When I got to my seat on the stage, I could finally
relax. From the vantage point of the
stage, I could see the
rest of my classmates marching in. What an
awesome sight to behold, the line moving in
perfect step and I can
tell you that it was never as magnificent, as awesome a sight at any other high
school graduation that I attended,
and I attended a lot of them.
Miss Crane also made sure that we had our
graduation caps
on our heads exactly
right. The front down over the forehead just so with the mortar board perfectly
parallel to the ground.
And the
music, the NNHS band, with
Mr. Wilson’s baton, playing that magnificent
Pomp and Circumstance.
The music
on the NNHS link brought it all back to me, as if it were yesterday. Thanks for
the
memories!
-
Aretie Gallins Patterson ('59) of Northern VA
- 03/24/05
Thanks so much!
Midi courtesy of
http://www.mylinuxisp.com/~tonyc/master.mid
at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) - 12/03/03
Thanks, Dave!
Birth and Death
Dates courtesy of the Social Security Death Index via Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA -
11/02/03.
Thanks again, Dave!
Comedy-Tragedy Masks clip art courtesy of http://www.hscripts.com/freeimages/icons/human/face-mask-clipart.php - 03/25/06