I always remember my graduation from Madison High School in 1976 this time of year when graduations are happening. It was memorable for many reasons.

I’ll just name a few for this blog. My graduation didn’t start out too well. My mother had been on me about getting a haircut about a week before graduation day. In the 1970’s most of the guys had long hair, that was just the style then. My senior year I had fairly long hair and I liked the way it looked. It was probably the biggest argument my mom and I ever had. I refused to get a haircut. Sounds silly now, but back then it wasn’t. I loved my goldilocks hair and so did Roxie. A couple days before graduation mom and I had it out, being the immature and rebellious teenager that I was I stormed out of the house and went down to the barber shop and told the barber to cut it really short. I wanted to get back at my mom. I went home with my new look and my mom was furious with me. Goal accomplished! I remember going to baccalaureate that evening and when I walked into the gym my classmates were stunned at my new look and did a lot of laughing. Roxie wasn’t too happy with me either. A sad graduation memory, but I want to let everyone know that my mom and I loved each other very much and got over it. Later in life it became a good story to tell and laugh at.

Now a more happy graduation memory. Roxie and I had been boyfriend/girlfriend during high school. At graduation practice when we lined up to walk in we were paired up with another student and we wanted to walk into the gym together during the ceremony. We talked the advisors into it letting us walk together. Roxie also was an honor student and she got to wear a gold honor stole around her neck, needless to say I wasn’t a honor student. But I did talk her into letting me wear her honor student golden stole for a picture op! Our graduation ceremony was held on a Wednesday and everything went well. I got my high school diploma and walked across the stage. Our class of 76 was pretty close and still are today. Many of us still live around the Madison area and get together once in a while.

We had our graduation reception in the basement of St. Michael’s Church. I say we because our family hosted a foreign exchange student that year and her name was Sol. Sol was from Spain. We loved Sol and still do today. Sol enjoyed her year with our family and going to Madison High School. She made a lot of friends and experienced living in the United States. We still stay in contact today.

The very next day after graduation I packed up my Galaxie 500 and I left for Moorhead State to join the Summer Stock Theater Group. Being in Summer Stock Theater that summer was one of the best experiences in my life. I got a feel for college life and being away from home and Roxie for the first time.

Graduating is a big life experience, being it high school or college. High school still brings back a lot of great memories and I am happy to still be good friends with a lot of my classmates. Including marrying one of them. Congratulations to this year’s graduating class.