Leslie Isbell:
CLASS OF 1966
Oak Ridge High SchoolClass of 1966
Orlando, FL
Leslie's Story
--- Punctuation shows up strangely, so I eliminated the apostrophes & quotation marks.
FIFTY YEARS --- Who woulda thunk it?
What a start we had! Just think of 1966, what was & what soon happened: Social and political change --- Vietnam, integration, womens rights, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, Lester Maddox, the space race, the cold war, SAC, Cuba, General Motors & the good ole USA.
With Lyndon Johnson came Medicare, Medicaid, the Civil Rights amendment and belief in the Great Society. We were standing tall, on top of the world, driving on Eisenhowers brand-new interstate system with bridges that were sturdy and strong, counting on working hard and retiring on our pensions, believing we could win -- and on and on. Ours was a very interesting time to grow up.
Thats why Oak Ridge Junior-Senior High was so important, certainly for me and I believe for us all.
Ours was an experimental school, new and trying different things: We had great teachers, a challenging curriculum, and opportunities for students to grow and change.
Some of the fine teachers who are special to me are Mrs. Woods (history), Miss Perry (science), Mr. Atkinson (humanities), Mrs. Stinson (Latin), and Mr. Rubenstein (Americanism vs Communism). Remember how much they cared? Their enthusiasm and dedication? We were very lucky to have these and so many others at Oak Ridge.
Coming to this reunion would have been delightful, but I simply cant (prior commitments).
During my six years at Oak Ridge, many people influenced me, sometimes without realizing it. Some of those I would have looked forward to seeing are Ruth Bridges, Beryl Davis, Robbie Hall, James & Raynor Lehman, Tony Manganello, Ellen Mapes, Len Neff, Susan Nichols, Sharon Wilson and so many others. I wish everyone in the class of 1966 well.
One person who will be truly missed is Skip Morgan. He went for it (Remember his talking about The Citadel in junior high?), packed a lot of living into his too-short time, and held onto his dreams. The world is a better place because he was in it.
As for me, every stage of my life has been interesting and full. I enjoyed high school and loved college (University of Florida: journalism, public relations, Alpha Chi Omega, KA Little Sister, graduate assistantship, lots of involvement in all sorts of things). Met and married Harry Runnels (law student who went home to Crystal River, Florida, to run his parents gasoline and convenience store business).
Crystal River had one traffic light and a tri-weekly paper, so I taught school (English & journalism) and enjoyed living in a natural paradise (clear, beautiful river; scalloping in the Gulf; fishing; make-your-own-fun parties with friends; going to Tampa/St. Petersburg/Gainesville/Ocala/Orlando for visits to The Outer World; getting to know fishermen, guides and other fascinating people who lived there, including those who chose to live there because they had earned the right to live anywhere they wanted to and found Crystal River perfect. It was wonderful.
Then, wh...Expand for more
en the big service stations crowded out the little guys, Harry helped sell the business. Preparing to move, I went to work at the Citrus County Chronicle (big paper bought out little one) and became an associate editor. We went to Sarasota so that Harry could become a MAI Appraiser (coursework and apprenticeship).
In 1986, everything changed because Harrys mother died: With her holdings and what we had saved, we decided to try retiring, living on our investments (stock market). Harry was 40, I was 38. We discovered that we were very good at being retired: Hard work pays off in the long run. Laziness pays off now. Crystal River lasted another 10 years, but then after two house floods and mans destruction of paradise, it was time to hit the road. So we did. We stored a few things, sold everything else and spent the next 10 years full-time RVing --- seeing the USA in our 40-foot motorhome, towing a jeep. We went everywhere, saw everything.
Great fun and a good thing because Harrys upset tummy in Lafayette, LA, turned out to be pancreatic cancer, undetectable until its too late. We rented & furnished a house (quick, quick -- 3 days), sold our RV, and made a safe place for us to live together, to ease his passing. He decided to die with dignity and grace, which he did. He was 60.
I was left alone (no children, no living family) after 37 years of marriage. So I stayed put, trying to find out who I am: I needed to make a new life for myself. Lafayette is a lovely, welcoming place --- as is all of Cajun country --- so soon I was taking Lagniappe classes at UL, raising money for the symphony and the university (etc.), in two Mardi Gras krewes (Victoria, Rio), going to the Chelsea Flower Show (London) & Brighton, alone. I was active, involved, and very lonely.
So, after two years or so, I decided to date. On Match.com I found men who, like me, wanted a friend to dance with, have dinner, talk. Easy and fun. Later, real dating was impossible. Im a dog-loving, non-church-going liberal. I wont settle, so that was that. I had given up and had set in motion my plan to take the little RV Id bought, my dog Lady, keep the rental house as a base, and set out on my own to go look at beautiful gardens.
Then along came Charles.
Charles David Isbell is perfect for me: Multi-talented, interested in life, a man I can respect, admire and love. We have been together now for five years, enriched by experiences into a seeming-lifetime. Weve not spent a night apart since we met and have been through trying times that few relationships could survive.
Now I live in Baton Rouge (Charles is a professor at LSU) with a man who has earned the respect of the world with his scholarship and writing. He is also a fine pianist and composer: His piano and he become one, whether its jazz or blues or classical. Hes welcomed me into his life and makes me happy. Well go on together through lifes final stages.
Mine has been an adventurous life and I have enjoyed immensely.
Best wishes for a joy-filled reunion.
Leslie
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