Another Year Over: The Blog Year One

The Blog is Born


Because I have an intense interest in technology and a strong desire to stay current with the latest developments, especially those relating to education and classrooms, I was curious and delighted when I found a book entitled Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, written by Will Richardson. I must also confess that my delight in finding the book and bringing it home related somewhat to recognizing it as an opportunity to both horrify and tease Jim a bit with the title because he has always thought me to be a bit “weird” in some of my interests relating to technology.

I have previously had a lot of experience with designing and maintaining web pages, and while I had heard of blogs and blogging, I had no experience even though I had made a couple of half hearted attempts at various times. Reading Richardson’s book rekindled my curiosity and solidified my opinion that blogs have real application to not only classrooms but to our daily lives. Unlike regular web pages, blogs hold the key to allowing users to post unlimited information, opinions, ideas and other resources to an audience that in turn can easily and quickly respond. In the book, Richardson writes,

“I will never forget the first time I posted my opinion (on a blog), and the first time someone responded to it. There was something really powerful about easily being able to share resources and ideas with a Web audience that was willing to share back what they thought about those ideas."

Additionally Richardson states:

“Weblogs are not built on static chunks of content. Instead they are comprised of reflections and conversations that in many cases are updated every day…… Blogs engage readers with ideas and questions and links. They ask readers to think and to respond. They demand interaction.”

By the time I had finished reading much of what Richardson has written, I became consumed with learning to become a blogger. In the back of my mind I wanted to become proficient with a new skill that I might someday apply to the writing of curriculum designed for online learners. I turned to Blogspot.Com and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to setup a blog in my name. Somehow I knew that my intended audience was to be the CHS Class of 1963. The idea was there in my mind and I had a vision of what I wanted to do.

Amazingly, it all came together on Monday, August 13, 2007, one year ago today! “Reflections on the Way Were: Childress High School Class of 1963” was launched.

Depending on word of mouth and the few email addresses that I had for former Childress classmates, I published the first post for the blog. In trying desperately to come up with a topic with wide appeal I wrote Reflections on a Teacher at CHS. The two goals I set forth were to publish new posts at least once a month and to get Jim involved in writing for the blog as well. The first goal has been met thanks to much help from Jennifer who came on board August 27, 2007 with her post entitled Blue Room, Hot Wheels, Purple Prose and the No. 4 Chili Cheeseburger ... The second goal involving Jim has been less successful, even though he has blessed us with one post entitled Life is a game; Basketball is Serious: Jim Wilcoxson. However, his behind the scenes support, and interest have been invaluable.

To this date we have published 92 posts. In an effort to provide a variety of topics of interest to everyone, we have enjoyed multiple posts entitled Cat’ Tracks which focused on the travels and trips of various classmates, posts entitled Bobcat Treasures which focused on every individual member of our class by incorporating bits of information from the past and present, The Times of Our Lives which cover memorable events which have affected all of us, and Blast From the Past which happily once more bring to us articles written by Jennifer in the Corral including her column “As You Like It.”

In the beginning the posts focused on “the way we were” in 1963 by reliving the junior and senior banquets and good times with old friends. The Naughty Nine as well as Childress HS athletics, band, and cheerleading were spotlighted in posts. We revisited the “blue room”, drag racing, and Halloween past and present. Not surprisingly over the year many of the posts have moved to the issues that we in the Class of 63 face today such as aging, caring for elderly parents, grandchildren, and living the good life of retirement.

Sadly, we have found it necessary to take the time to mourn the loss of too many of our friends and classmates including two who died during this year, John McConnell in 2007 and Larry Clifton in 2008.

Room for Expansion

In January, 2008, the Reflections Blog was linked to a new blog named “Show and Tell” which serves as an online yearbook for our class. The goal is to showcase each class member of 1963 with a brief updated bio of life after graduation up to “today”. Fourteen of our old friends have graciously responded. I still have hopes that we will be able to add more in the next months.

In February, 2008 another piece of the puzzle was created in the form of another linked blog called “Short Notes.” We want a place to share information and short posts on a wide variety of topics. 32 short notes including Childress information, art works by former classmates and a trip to Paris. This blog is one we would like to “do over” a bit, but it has been a successful way to share information about other classes at CHS, reunion information, and much more.

The newest planned linked blog will be called “Celebrating the Journey: The Power of Love” which is designed to spotlight and celebrate the marriages of our former classmates as they share their secrets of a great marriage. At this time we have published a post from Kay Eatherly and Gayle Whitten on the Reflections blog. When new posts are received, the new blog will become active.

We Couldn’t have Done it Without You!

So many people have helped us in so many ways. Posts were written by Joe Hopkins, Clara Robinson Meek, Linda Kay Bridges Cook, Kay and Gayle Whitten, Darryl Morris, Lynn Purcell Durham, Mike Spradley, Yahn Smith, Raenell Wynn Smith, Phil Tutor, and Betty Smith Merritt. We appreciate you more than you can imagine!

In order to get the word out about the blog, we had a great response from the following people who shared email addresses, home addresses and phone numbers of former classmates. Thank you so very much to Raenell Wynn Smith, Jennifer, Linda Key Rothwell, Joe Hopkins, Classmates.Com, Kay Eatherly Whitten, and other Childress people.

To everyone who cared enough and took the time to comment on posts over the last year—we remain eternally grateful to you.

To all of you who emailed your support and good wishes over the year, thank you so very, very much!

To each person who is in the spotlight on the online yearbook, thank you for stepping up and sharing. It has been so much fun to read about you and your families over the years. Carolyn Loter Barlow was brave enough to be the first up. Each life story has been such a blessing to all of us.

A special thank you to Kay and Gayle. You didn’t disappoint me! I owe you big time!

Thank you to Harold Simmons for your contributions to Short Notes! It is always good to hear from you.

Thank you, Betty Smith Merritt, for blessing us with your story and your poetry.

Thank you to Driscilla Dehtan Storrs for your emails and your encouragement.

Thank you to Mike Spradley for your wit, your stories, and your drawings. You were such a blessing in the beginning. We look forward to your return to the blog in the future.

Thank you to Clara Robinson Meek for your friendship and for sharing your art and your wonderful stories. More please!

Thank you to Pat Davenport Shapiro for having us to your home. It was such a wonderful time and so wonderful to see you again.

Thank you to Lynn Purcell Durham for your story of survival in the hurricane. It was awesome! You remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you to Bill Bailey for getting in touch with us and for so willingly sending your bio to Show and Tell. We appreciate you!

The Big Disappointments

We were disappointed but not down and out by the unsuccessful drive to have our 45th reunion in Las Vegas. It would have been so much fun, but we are anticipating seeing many more of you in Childress. Thank you to everyone who is planning on making the trip.

We are sad that a few of our classmates remain on the Lost rather than the Found lists. Juanita Foster, Linda Ham Stephenson, Gerald Holeman, Darrel Manuel, Woody Maggart, Barbara Moore, Bruce Patterson, Linda Richie Cook, Juanita Taylor, Rex Wheeler, and Eddie Worthington are missed. Can you help us locate any of them?

Sadly, many of our classmates that we have managed to locate have not gotten in touch with us. Every person is important to us and we would love to hear from everyone.

Great Rewards

Locating Phil Tutor in Arizona and meeting Phil face to face along with his wife Winnie was so much fun. Phil has “grown up” : ) very nicely and we look forward to hearing from The Bish again.

Reconnecting with so many of our other classmates via email, telephone calls, or face to face is wonderful!

Seeing so many of our classmates reconnect with old friends because of the blog is terrific, too.

Getting to see “Jersey Boys” in Dallas with Linda Bridges Cook and her husband Wayne Cook! Linda, you make both Jim and me laugh with your wonderful wit and stories.

Having the occasional Sunday lunch with Jan and J.R. Bell.

Saving the Best for Last

Jennifer, your posts, your encouragement, your great ideas, you wonderful titles, your wit, your passion and zeal on so many levels all mean more than I can say. Thank you for your friendship. You have blessed every one of us in so many ways.

What is Next?

With the support, suggestions, and input of our "audience" we will continue One Day at a Time.

A Final Look Back

John Lennon’s, “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” remains one of my favorite songs. Three of the lines in particular always make me stop and think and even though the song is a Christmas song, I want to apply those lines here because I love them. They are not in the order that they appear in the song, but they are reflective of the first year of the blog for me.

”Another year over
And what have you done”

It has been a great year. It has been my pleasure to create a blog that hopefully has served many of you well by transporting you back to a much simpler time when we were young and full of hopes and dreams. However, I would hope most of all that as we share our stories of today with one another we can once again re-establish the bonds of friendship and respect based on the adults that we have become today.

"Another year over
And a new one just begun"

With the new year of the blog, dare I hope that we will see more of each one of you actively appearing on the blog? What a gift that would be for all of us.

I remain your humble blog servant or perhaps I should say, I remain your humble blog slave! : )

Nicki