MHS Class of 1973

Class of 1973 Facebook Page - CLICK HERE

A retrospective look at the high school experience

EDITOR’S NOTE: Jonathan first posted the following on the MHS All Class Reunion Facebook page on Aug. 13, 2020. Its message still resonates. Visit the MHS All Class Reunion Facebook page HERE.

Milford High School Classmates,

Some of us grew up together, through all 13 years of public education, with the same group of “kids” that we started Kindergarten with. Some of us grew up with different groups of “kids” during different parts of our academic career. Either way; we learned to share toys and the attention of classmates and teachers together in Kindergarten. We learned how to take turns.

We learned that some people enjoy and excel at certain school activities; and others enjoy and excel at different activities. We learned to appreciate that some people love to work with their hands, at art, drafting, cooking, woodworking, sewing, or mechanics; and that the same people, or others, are fascinated by abstract ideas of science and math.

We learned the basics about interpersonal relationships together. We saw each other being bullied by classmates and sometimes by teachers. We learned what it feels like to stick up for our friends; and we learned what it feels like not to stick up for them.

We learned that our opinions can be the same as some classmates or teachers; but different from others’; in ways that we didn’t expect. We took Red Cross swimming lessons together at the beach over the summers. We watched each other as we tested out our athletic abilities and our relationships with managing our bodies.

We were in Scouts together. We stood in line together at the nurse’s office to receive vaccines. We felt each other’s quiet tension while report cards were being passed out. Some days we saw each other all dressed up for school functions, and some days we took showers together after participating in athletic activities or attending gym class. We went through puberty together.

We watched each other adjust to ideas around dating, and maybe even growing into our sense of sexuality. We saw each other laugh and we saw each other cry. We lived through personal and social triumphs together and we lived through personal and social tragedies together. We watched each other sweat and struggle to understand ideas, and we saw the lights go on in each other’s eyes as we suddenly grasped a concept.

We watched each other trying to figure out what the hell we would do after high school graduation. Now; we’ve probably spent many more years looking back on those thirteen short years that we were together; still trying to figure out things that we could just never seem to understand back then.

Many times, we wish that we could go back to certain situations that existed in those days. And hopefully; we’ve come to the conclusion that most of us really were just doing our best to make it through those developmental years, to survive our family situations, to learn the things that we would need to know as “grownups”, to be liked well enough to have friends, to be nice to each other, and to be happy.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s O.K. now to feel that we’re close, even if we don’t see much of each other, and it’s O.K. to feel that we have a special relationship as long-time-ago classmates; because we’ve been through a lot together.

I guess that’s why we look forward to our Milford High School All-Class Reunions so much. It’s also why I feel so connected to the people who visit this page (Facebook MHS All Class page that Jonathan edits); who I’ve never known otherwise.

In many ways we share the common experience of Milford High School even if we didn’t share it at the exact same time or the exact same space. I feel like your brother from another mother!!

Peace and Love Be with You!!

Jonathan "Lusty 73"