Linda Tremonti:  

Yesterday, for her 62nd birthday, I mailed my life-long best friend, Bea Monahan Bonk, who lives in Southern California, and who I think of as my sister, a photocopy of our 1960 8th grade class picture, for which I happily won one of two posters at our St. Thomas Apostle 20th Grammar School Reunion, that took place in September 1990. Bea is the 4th on the left; 2nd row of the girls from the top. I wish Bea could have been there, because it turned out to be the best fun any school reunion ever had! It was wonderful seeing all those old faces come alive some 20 years later of people from my childhood and neighborhood, when we used to be "kids", now all grown up and coming to our reunion from various places in a different time and place. San Francisco our home town was far different back then. It was the era of Rock'n Roll, Playland at the Beach, sneaking to get into the Geneva Drive-In from the trunk of somebody's old Ford or Chevy, cruising and racing down El Camino, getting pulled over for a 6-pack of Oly, playing hookey from school, and having your best friend be at the house to act as your mom when the principal called. Crazy and fun-free times to be sure! A time when nuns taught school, and religion didn't have to compromise with politics. A time when we, as kids could feel safe walking alone to Ocean Beach and back, or anyplace else along the urban streets of the city, and never really dread fear. I went to an all-girls High School at Star of the Sea Academy, but only until the end of my Sophmore year. I decided I wasn't really comfortable going there, so I changed schools, transferring to George Washington High, but because I had gone back and forth between Catholic and Public Schools up until then, and because both my parents had immigrated from Italy (my mother only 9 years before my birth), my first language was Italian, so not understanding English at the time, I was not promoted to 2nd grade, but held back two terms in 1st grade at Sts. Peter and Paul Salesian Grammar School in Northbeach. It was the general rule that when a student turned 18 years of age, they could not be allowed to stay on to finish their Senior year and graduate with the rest of their class at public school, so I finished out the rest of my high school credits at John Adams Adult High School, where I graduated in 1966, six months later. Right after graduating, I went on to work in the Clerical Field, and worked at various places of employment, acquiring more and more job experience, and furthering that experience having also attended Computer Training at Healds Business College, where I graduated earning my Certificates of Completion. Since then, I met and married my wonderful husband, who we recently celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. We have a son and a daughter who are now both married, and recently, our daughter blessed us with a healthy happy baby grandson! Exactly one year ago, we sold our home in California to move to beautiful Georgia where we retired early to live here, and be near to our son and daughter-in-law, who also purchased their beautiful home out here; both having successful careers. Our family will be complete when our daughter and her family move out here within a year or two. Throughout all these many years, I've stayed in touch from time to time with a few of my old grammar school classmates from STA, including one who went on to graduate from Star; Maria Mes, who recentl...Expand for more