Editor's Observation: Time Passages

“Seventy-Four Has More!” The Parma Senior High Class of 1974 held its 40th reunion August 9, 2014 at Tony Maloney’s. Out of a class of over 1,200 graduates, about 200 classmates attended. 

It was a congenial mingling on the patio with pizza, appetizers, and beverages. The DJ played classic ’70s music, and later on brave classmates tried their hand at singing karaoke, including classmate Marc Guy, French horn music professor at SUNY. It was interesting to hear what careers various friends had chosen, and where life had taken them since our Redmen days. 

How time has passed! What amazed me was that the women mostly looked recognizable despite the forty year time span, but the men were hard to recognize. I never realized how much a hairstyle could affect perception. Gone were the mullets, Afros, and Van Halen shag haircuts. No more John Denver or Beatle moptops. Except for two graying long ponytails, all the guys had their hair clipped cleanly above the collar, in Air Force style cuts. No more variety—all business. I miss the good old days. 

The occasion seemed less like a reunion and more like a casual party. It was cool. 

My husband found our class to be a very lively group, quite sociable and interesting. Of the four personal friends I was reunited with, two were still strong in their Christian faith, one had returned to the faith, and for one, it was not the center of his life. 

But for me, I have to say that my faith is the center of my life. My relationship with Jesus is my joy and my salvation. I love to tell the story of Jesus and His love, and invite others to get to know Him. My Christian calling is to minister with my husband, who is now ordained, wherever the Lord calls. It seems the Lord is leading us to move to South Dakota for Doug to pastor a church. And so my time with the Parma Observer has drawn to a close. 

Dan McCarthy has done a yeoman’s job in publishing, editing, and producing the Parma Observer since its beginning. I could not have had a more encouraging, understanding, insightful publisher or supervisor. I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with him. His work has been a labor of love. He gives the opportunity for a voice to the citizenry of Parma, Parma Heights, and Seven Hills. He cares about the political issues facing the Southwest Tri-Community area and the quality of life for its residents. Dan publishes people’s articles whether he agrees with them or not, and holds the journalistic standards high in tasteful editing. He has made the Parma Observer a quality product of citizen journalism, an excellent exercise in freedom of speech and civic responsibility. I have the utmost respect for Dan, and will continue to follow the progress of the Parma Observer with keen interest. 

As I will continue to follow the progress of my hometown and keep informed of the events and hot topics on people’s minds through the words of the citizen writers in our very own monthly newspaper, the Parma Observer.