THS Homecoming

Last Night I went to the Torrance High School Homecoming Football game - my first homecoming game in 27 years. Although THS lost to PV 22-28 when they allowed the clock to run out with the ball on the one yard line, I had a marvelous time. It wasn't the game itself that so pleasant, but the fact that I was able to reconnect with some High School friends that I hadn't seen since graduation.So many years have passed and yet, deep down inside, the same young girls that left THS for a big, bright future were still there, with a lot more gray hair and a heck of a lot of wisdom gained from our lives since then. It seemed like a lifetime ago and mostly it was -I was the only one of the lot that hadn't married or had children. As I was quickly reminded, many of the classmates our age have grown or nearly grown children. The students on the playing field, the cheerleaders on the track could easily be our own.

It was interesting to note how much the students and the trappings of the Homecoming celebration have changed since we were there. The band was much smaller and the cheer squad (or whatever they call themselves now) much larger than what we experienced in our day. At the game, there were no differentiation among Varsity, JV and Songleaders, the Mascots were cartoon-like and there were no drill teamers, majorettes or small flags.The crowd was somewhat small for what was once considered the most important football game of the year. Despite the "differences", there was a moment when I felt like I was seventeen again -thinking about classes,teachers and students, wondering what the future would hold for us.
Twenty seven years from now, I will be 72, Lord willing, old by anyone's estimation. Perhaps then I will attend the homecoming game and marvel how things have changed again. But then there will be a whole new generation comparing that day to the homecoming game of 2005 -the band will be different and so will the cheersquad. They will say, "Remember how they drove the HC queen in her fluffy white dress and all her court in those classic 'Stangs." It will be fun and amusing.