(Note: This Saturday night is our Grand Blanc High School, class of 1981, 45 year Class Reunion. Five years ago, I helped plan the 40 year gathering with Larry Rosenthal and it was a lot of fun (sadly, Larry is no longer with us). Brad and I will not be able to attend, but I have been thinking of high school this week and the impact that had on my adult life. Here’s the blog post on itsagreatdayto.com that followed that event back in 2021. Wishing those attending a fun evening.)
This started as a post on the Grand Blanc High School Facebook page Larry and Chris set up for the Reunion and it just got a little too long and detailed, so I decided to make it this week’s blog post. So that’s what brings you here. Thanks for coming from far and wide, from the Washington DC area, Boston, Pittsburg, Oregon, Florida, West Virginia, Tennessee, NYC, Chicagoland, Kalamazoo, Birmingham, Davison, South Lyon, Fenton, Ann Arbor, Grand Blanc and all over. Everyone was dressed appropriately as an outdoor setting allowed for everything from nice shorts to dresses to shirts and jackets or ties. The original goal was for a night of fun to bring our graduating class together and maybe rekindle old friendships or start new ones…MISSION ACCOMPLISHED on all…Thanks to Larry Rosenthal & Chris McLogan for getting the ball rolling last year and it was fun to jump in to help out as needed since I LOVE planning get togethers and really it was pretty easy since I live very close by, not venturing far after graduating from U of M and leaving Ann Arbor, marrying someone from our class….
Ok, so maybe not, “Oh What a Night!” (although, that would describe Saturday night’s Reunion), but rather, “Oh what an amazing high school experience we had!!!!!!” Really, when you think about it, Dr. Burek’s words, which I am paraphrasing are right, we were so fortunate to have the experience we had. It was priceless! (and without a cell phone on video mode or camera in our face to record any stupid behavior-THANK GOD!) Think back to the Homecomings, with the parade on Saturday morning, the bonfire the night before, the Queen’s Assembly (with a live Subterfuge performance) and floats built at Chis McLogan’s barn, our plays/musicals, sporting events, Sadie Hawkins week, a trip to the state high school football finals junior year, field trips to Stratford with Mrs. Staley’s Shakespeare Club, NYC (the choir and theater department). And think back to some of your teachers who were experts in their field or just down right amazing people. Think about Dr. Burek, a principal worthy of a movie that would be as successful at the box office as “Mr. Holland’s Opus” Coach Oldham, Mrs. Tartoni, Mr. Tartoni, Mr. Beauchamp, Mr. Stallcup, Mrs. Thomas, I could go on and on on the winners we had in terms of teachers…And a student body, right out of “Central Casting’ from a John Hughes movie with some characters so unique a Hollywood writer couldn’t even dream them up…Yep, I think many of us could say that our high school experience, from the fall of 1977 through the spring of 1981 could have been a movie the likes and popularity of “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” or even “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”).
Like I mentioned on Saturday, we sort of lived in a little bubble back then…We all grew up in good homes where we were taught right from wrong, we were cared for, we got up in the morning and went off to a school with a Principal and leader who ran a tight ship and took his job very seriously. We had teachers who pushed us to do our best, then some of us were involved in activities with coaches/teachers/adults in the community who instilled a strong work ethic, whether it be sports or anything else. We had good relationships with friends who came from similar backgrounds…It is no accident we all made it to this point as good and decent people. How could we NOT have turned to be ok with a growing up experience like that?!!
Back to Dr. Burek. Honestly, I think what made Dr. Burek such a good leader is that he made decisions regarding his students as if WE were his three girls, Melissa, Amy & Wendy. I don’t know, I never asked him, but I really always felt that he truly cared about all of us. He set the tone of that building and it all trickled down through the teachers/staff and us. Who had pep rallies like we did? Even passing time was social and fun; the high path, the low path. Think about the sporting events, the jeans dances, the Proms, etc…All fantastic experiences. I would describe my high school experience to friends in college or friends I have met since and then and they would tell me that our experience was unique …What a fantastic place to spend four years growing up. It is that four years that bind us all together and for many of us, created a “kinship,” that will last a life time. My observation is that when one goes through an impressionable experience at a pivotal time in life, it creates a very special connection between those people and for me and maybe some of you, it did. That is why one can see someone they haven’t seen or heard from in years and pick right up where they left off or why someone you may have known, but not had a relationship with and suddenly you feel a close connection and a new friendship starts. I experienced that over this last year with some of you and I am very grateful for that. Even Saturday night, seeing old friends, may be the start of some new relationships…Can we ever have enough good people in our lives? I think not.
We’re all had different paths and adventures since high that have affected us both positively and negatively, both good and bad. To take the lead from Pastor Derek Nolan, our classmate and good friend who spoke on Saturday, who has experienced two of the toughest losses to go through as he told us, the loss of both a spouse and child; life is about living each day and enjoying it, just as we didn’t know the day we would arrive here, or the day we will depart …Each and every day is a gift…
We left GBHS 40 years ago to pursue different paths but the common thread we all left with was that “Tradition of Excellence,” that the Grand Blanc School District prided itself on and in order to survive to this point, it must have stayed with us; perfection, but excellence. Excellence to succeed in business, medicine, ministry, government, law, media, music, automotive, engineering, travel, building, education, law enforcement, as a parent/spouse/partner/aunt/uncle/grandparent/sibling or business partner “Success is not measured by how much one makes, but rather how much of a difference one makes in others lives” (not my words, but a variety of people through history have said similar words). If you can get up in the morning, put in a good days work, no matter what it is, treat people right, eat good food, get a little exercise in and go to bed with a happy heart, that’s sounds like great day to me…
Take good care of yourselves, you NEED to be around for the next one of these events! Those of you who were able to attend, it was great to see you and your effort to make it was appreciated…Those of you who were unable to attend, you WERE missed! We all graduated together and WE ALL are part of Grand Blanc High School Class of 1981. Keep in touch…
It’s a Great Day Guys!
Mary Yana (Todorovsky) Burau
Melissa and I have been in touch since the reunion, that was a bonus from the last reunion. I have seen Joan periodically over the years and I still find it interesting that Brad and I graduated in the same class and never talked in high school…Some things are just meant to be the way they are. A story for another day.
🐾Friday’s blog post, “This Is My Town,” was the lead up to the Reunion.
