Through An 'Old Timer's' Eyes
By Howard 'Mac' McDonald

High school reunions may not be some people's cup of tea, but I am a sucker for nostalgia.

Counting the spouses, we had 40 people in attendance for our 59th reunion at Elizabeth High. Not bad for a group that only had 87 people in the senior class.

The spectacular weather helped put everyone in a party mood. Even though we did not have name tags, we finally identified everyone and the conversations raced on with everyone participating. A few still lived in the immediate area but most came from out of town, some from as far as Dallas.

My good friend Walt Meyers and I sang the school songs and received a standing round of applause. We were both in good voice, as we both sang in the boys' choir when we were in school. I don't know why he was in the choir, but I was there because I needed the credits.

I was also in the senior play and I was pressured into that by Miss Bodnar, the English teacher and also the director. She was hurting for a character to play Fidel, the butler, and she said if I didn't take this assignment, I could forget about passing senior English.

Elizabeth is rightfully proud of a couple of firsts. Elizabeth High was the first school in Pennsylvania to run Old Glory up its flagpole.

A lot of people are under the impression that Lewis and Clark started their expedition in St. Louis. They actually picked up their boat in Elizabeth, went north on the Monongahela River to Pittsburgh, and from there they went south on the Ohio River to the Mississippi and then on to St. Louis. They got their supplies in St. Louis and their orders to proceed.

They left in late summer 1804 and by late fall reached Mandan Indian village where they spent the winter. In the spring they enlisted Sacajawea as a guide and they were off to the great Pacific Northwest, returniNg to St. Louis in September 1806.

As you ride along our highways, you see the signs that say, "Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful."

Let me tell you that Pennsylvania is beautiful. The farms all look like something out of a magazine. The corn is tall, the hayfields are green and the other crops in the fields are ready for harvest.

We are approaching fall and the old master painter is mixing his colors and will soon be busy splashing them on the countryside.

This past weekend was a good time for yard sales. In every town that we passed through, there was a yard sale. Coudersport had a whole town full of them and they say the traffic was really something.

I have been trying to sell my yard all summer, but so far I haven't had any takers. I have asked my wife several times if she would like to have a yard sale, and the answer is always the same: "No!"

We have enough stuff in the attic that the Hazen Flea Market would look puny compared to our yard sale.

Last Friday night kicked off the high school football season. Football fever is everywhere.

Nothing takes the fun out of Friday night football like a rainstorm. Rain makes the game hard to play and harder to watch.

Being on the far side of youth, I pay strict attention to the other drivers when I am on a trip. You can generally tell if the car in front of you has a senior citizen driver. Usually over the past 10 miles, his turn signal has been blinking.

I always comment on the other driver's habits. When someone is driving too slow, I remark, "You idiot!" If they pass me going well over the speed limit I usually say, "I wonder where that maniac is going?" Boy, it sure is easy to criticize the other guy.

On the freeways in the cities they have a HOV lane. You are supposed to have at least one additional passenger in your vehicle if you drive on the HOV.

There is always someone out there trying to beat the system and the police have stopped a lot of cars where the other passenger was a blow-up doll. I have oftened wondered if that was the only way that driver could get a girlfriend.

Lately there have been some house burglaries in our community. A lot of people have been buying home security systems. I guess they are okay, but if you live in one of the townships, who is going to respond to the alarm?

My home security system is my dog. I count on Sarge to wake me up. I will then take care of the intruder with my .357.