The Cool Kids

June 3, 2020

Small Town Mom, Katina

Meets Her Dad in 1968

Katina Kennedy, author.

A picture can say 1,000 words. Today I came across a framed photo from 1968.  It was at my Daddy's family hearth, and one look at the photograph hiding in a blue frame, pushed to the back caught my attention. The young man on the top left had to be my Dad.  He was  the one standing tall and looking sharp.  The picture was of these seven lads and I wanted to realize what they were celebrating, were they close friends, and what they were  thinking.  Of course my Dad didn't recall what was going on in his mind at that time,  What he did remember to me was fascinating and I was meeting my Dad in his younger self. 

High school classmates in year1968

From the upper far left, Lafayette L. Herndon(my Dad) Wardell Lawrence Glaspie (my Godfather) Samuel, (Satcho) Johnson, 1968 student name unknown, 1968 student name unknown, Michael Cornelius Gray, 1968 student name unknown.

* Brown vs Board of Education, 1954 was the Supreme Court decision to at last make keeping races of students segregated  unconstitutional. This photograph was taken only two years after my Dad was Segregated into Longview, TX High School.  The first class as he recalls was two years before him in 1966.

I learned that my Dad, Wardell, Satcho, and Michael had been pals and comrades from first grade.  They certainly went through an interesting time together. These friends share a bond. Life is funny that way.  As we move along through it, we never imagine when a single experience will link you together with a group for a lifetime. As I said earlier,  a picture is worth 1,000 words. I won't bore you with a 1,000 of the details but how about a few? My Dad remained best friends with Wardell Glaspie until his passing.  Wardell and his wife, Earline Glaspie became Godparents to me and my sister. The others my Dad lost touch with.  I asked him if every student in the photograph hung out at each other's homes, or outside of school.  Sadly, he said no they did not. But, he did say; " if we saw each other passing in the hallways of School we would say "hi" or "what's happening." That was good enough for me.

When I asked him, "Dad, why we're you the best dressed in the photo...his answer " I was always sharp,"  and I bought my own clothes." When asked, who was coolest of the four friends, he said " Me, but Wardell would have said differently." 

My Dad dressed to impress in 1968!  Psssst...I'm sure it was his Mother, Vivian who sent him out looking so sharp. I call the young lads in this photo from 1968,  "The Cool Kids."

Why? Because that's just what they were.

My Dad's Mom, Vivian.