Nancy Deusterman:  

Life When I graduated in 1967, what most people didn't know, is that I made it by the skin of my teeth. As a senior I skipped 42 days, and my GPA for that year was a pathetic: 1.7. As my report cards repeatedly understated, I was "not working up to potential". So I was definitely in need of a turn-around, and by God's mercy and grace, I found it in California. I went from living in Minnesota in a depressing basement apt, alone with my divorced and alchoholic dad, who was never home; to living with my mom in a household of 10. As a legal resident with her, I could receive a tuition-free college education. That put me on a sunny San Diego campus, walking to my classes barefoot, sitting in on "rap sessions", learning the meaning of "anti-establishment", enjoying folk-singers on the lawns, and dropping down next to strangers on the grass to ask, "Do you think there's any such thing as 'ultimate truth'?" and "Who do YOU think Jesus was?" I had met some "Jesus freaks", "met" Jesus, and become a "freak" myself. Since then, life has been a bit like a giant Califorinia theme park. Sometimes rising to heights of joy and excitement, sometimes plummeting into doubts and fears, and sometimes just waiting in long, slow-moving lines. Sometimes the cars got derailed. But I met my husband back at the entrance gate, at the U of M. Together, we headed off to the Frontierland of working with Campus Crusade for Christ at the U of Montana from '71 to '75; then Fantasyland, or LA, and the UCLA campus from '75 to '77. Our daughter was born in '77, so we decided to leave that work and comeback to good ol' wholesome midwest St Paul, MN. Lived on Wheelock Pkwy from '78 to '83, and now we've been in Andover for 24 yrs. Our daughter and son both did considerably better at Anoka Highschool than I did at Harding. Recently, they've both entered the Adventureland of marriage and raising kids of their own. I feel like I'm in Tomorrowland, using a computer and the internet. And what about micro-waves? Just push a button, and a hot meal comes out of the wall!!! Anyway, I now work at a bookstore, and I love to read, and I have an idea. How about an alumni bookgroup? Very low maintainance and low commitment. Say...once every other month? We could read fiction, and discuss truth. I'll even throw out the 1st title: GHOSTS by Adrian Plass. It's about a reunion- ha! You can contact me at my home email, or on facebook, or thru classmates.com. Even if you just want to converse, and don't want to read. Because none of us really knows how long it will be before the park closes and we find ourselves out in the REAL WORLD. School Okay, I'll write a few memories. I was inspired most, probably, by Mr Peck, in English, and Mr Bryan, in psychology and humanities. Altho, singing some of those songs in choir was pretty inspiring too. With Mr Heyerdahl. I remember, "I wonder,as I wander". With Mike Giles doing a solo. Sitting with my friends, Sharon Youngberg, Pat Edmonds, Linda Bratvold... Brigadoon...Oklahoma. Neat times. I'd sign up for a time-travel vacation back to the choir room. But only if I could "know then ...Expand for more