18,262 days. 438,288 hours.

 

We all have them - high school graduation reunions. The big one happens this month. 18,262 days,  438,288 hours, 50 years ago, the Mahwah High School Class of '76, the "Spirit of '76" graduated.

This is a little piece I wrote about that monumental day when my gang of friends became adults, thrown out into the cruel world after living blissfully in the cozy confines of high school.

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“Fifty years,” I muttered to myself. “18,263 days. 438,312 hours. Fifty years. A lifetime."

It literally was a lifetime. Fifty years since a gang of friends marched down an aisle of lush green stadium grass, the walkway framed by rows of old, creaky aluminum folding chairs. The chalk dust from an impressive football season had long since washed away by belly-deep snowdrifts the previous winter.

Fifty years have passed since that makeshift auditorium was hastily assembled within the confines of a well-worn high school football stadium, its field ringed with aging wooden bleachers and grandstands that were teeming with crying mothers, doting fathers, and fidgety youngsters. Fifty years since those rows of folding chairs on the field were filled with youthful exuberance, a bunch of kids gushing with an innocent naivety about the world that stood before them, its door open wide, beckoning them to enter. Among those one hundred or so graduates sat a motley crew of kids simply known to all as “the gang.” And yes, it was a gang. Not in an Al Capone sort of way. Not in a “gangsta” sort of way. It was a tight-knit group of friends—the gang.

We were dubbed the Spirit of ’76, having graduated during the nation’s bicentennial celebration, but we were far removed from the spirit of our Founding Fathers. We lived during a time in American history where the nation was trying to recover from Vietnam, Watergate, and having to wait in line for hours to buy a tank of gas, but we were blissfully oblivious to it all as we lived from day-to-day, sunup to sundown, hanging with our friends, playing in garage bands, discovering first loves. 

What's New

 

Hi, everyone, and welcome to summer! We're experiencing our typical Alabama Gulf Coast summer - record rainfall mixed with sweltering, humid days. It's why we wake up every morning and give thanks to Willis Carrier and his invention, the air conditioner. It was specifically designed for humid beings.

Okay, enough puns for today. The rainy days have allowed me plenty of time to write. As always, I'm juggling a bunch of projects. I'm happy to say that I'm almost finished with a major edit of my cozy mystery, Dead Air. I have been away from the manuscript long enough where I started thinking that maybe it isn't that good. So, I started editing again and I quickly remembered why I liked. I hope it will get picked up soon and you can judge for yourself.

Big news on the Beyond the Launchpad: The Unsung Women of the Space Race front. I'm down to writing the last chapter. The publisher and I have already edited the previous chapters so it's moving along pretty fast. We also have the official cover to reveal. I think out of all my books, Turner Publishing created the best. This really captures the feel of the book:

And in case you didn't know, Alabama Curiosities 3rd Edition has been released! I was honored to be asked to edit and add content to this guide to the wackiest, craziest, and quirkiest characters and places in the state. The book was originally written by Andy Duncan, and his sense of humor matches mine perfectly. It's a really fun read. Pick it up at your favorite local or online bookstore.

So, that's all for now. Until next time, have a happy and safe 4th of July!