My Classmates Experience

I read a listing of the most popular sites on the Internet and saw Classmates.com listed. I was surprised. Last night, before going to bed, I went and took a look.

I signed up for a free account and began to systematically look at every listing from my high school and graduation year. It was a huge school. My graduating class had nearly 2,000 students.

Through the A’s, B’s C’s and D’s – nothing. No friends. Not even a recognition of the names. Didn’t I know people? It’s possible I didn’t, as there’s no one from high school I’m still in contact with.

Finally a few names rang a bell. I just couldn’t remember if we were friendly, or I just knew the name.

Howard Epstein was there.. Was this Howie Epstein? Is this the guy who rebuilt a Model “A” Ford, putting the transmission in upside down? Am I even remembering the name correctly?

Where was the guy who used to leave English class to call his stock broker? This was the mid-60s. No one I knew owned stock, much less had a broker to call on a daily basis. He wore a three piece suit to school. Was his name Immerman?

I graduated at the height of the Vietnam War. One of my classmates went on to West Point. Did he make it through the war? Did he even make it through four years at West Point?

I saw one classmate listed who lived in my apartment building. We went to high school together for four years, traveling an hour and a half in each direction by bus and subway. As far as I remember, we had nothing in common and never spoke. At least I recognized the name.

Where were the guys I used to ride the GG and 7 train with? Who did I eat lunch with? Anyone from the A/V squad? I’m at a loss.

I did see George Sau listed, and dropped him an email. George and his brother Johnny lived in a very tough neighborhood in Jamaica. When I’d visit their family’s Chinese food take-out place, they’d be the only Asians in the area… and I, the only Caucasian.

I’ve heard sites like Classmates are responsible for some marriage breakups, as spouses reconnect with old flames. I went to an all boy’s school. I was socially inept back then. It’s not a concern.

Do I really want to find the people I knew in the late 60s? That’s not as simple a question as it sounds. Better still, do I want them to find me?

How much of what I was back then am I now?

2 thoughts on “My Classmates Experience”

  1. An all-boys school? Was it Stuyvesant? My father (class of 1940) and uncle both graduated fom there. My fahter wasn’t ever on the internet, as I’m sure many of his generation were not, but I looked up that school on Classsmates and there is a surprising number of people listed for classes in the 1930’s and 1940’s, so I guess even that generation signs up to connect with old friends. It is interesting looking through the names from my class, too, but most I don’t even remember and I graduated only 25 years ago!

  2. Geoff,

    Had a similar experience with Classmates. Too many guys went to Tech, and exactly 1664 were in our Senior graduating class. I traveled 90 minutes everyday (each way) by bus to the 7, now known as “The Orient Express,” switched to the GG, got off at Fulton Street. There was one other guy I knew from College Point who went to Tech, and in 4 years I never once saw him on the subway, or even bumped into him inside Tech–what were the odds of that?

    I think the stockbroker kid you described was named Roy Hinnman–a genius, scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT. Based on our entry test scores, they put me in a homeroom, or “prefect” as Tech it, with all the other guys who scored in the top 5% of the verbal scores. Were you in that class (G-13)? You certainly were verbal, if I remember, maybe a tad hyper, too, if my memory serves me well, which it doesn’t lately, so I could be wrong. Hinmann was in that Class. So was Monty Farber, who is now a famous NY psychic and author! (Look up his website, TheEnchantedWorld.com — http://www.theenchantedworld.com/blog/content.php?Subpage_ID=2903 He’s a hoot, you should write to him. I have; he bought all the humor books I went on to author.

    Also in that homeroom class was a guy named Ed Dittus (of course we all called him Ditto!). He’s done very well, and I’ve stayed in touch with him over the last 2 decades via the net. You probably remember him, one of the first to wear a Beatle’s pageboy haircut, when long hair in testosterone-filled Tech was a very brave statement! Speaking of hair, my copy of the “Blueprint 68” yearbook shows you had a thick crop of curly black hair, which with any help from heredity and Clairall for Men, you still have. Let’s just say I still have my hair, but it’s more silvery these days.
    I think back then you were basically like you are today, as I think the other 1663 of us are…as it’s been said, “The child is father to the man…”

    -Ed Strnad

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