Life and Times in SoCal

Class of ‘79

Its mid-June 2022, I am just returning home to the US after visiting family for a twice delayed family wedding, a second birthday celebration for my step-grandson and to celebrate my son’s recent wedding and his great news on being an expectent father for the second time, seems like things are coming in two’s this year!

All this got me thinking about where I am in the world, no, not literally, I know where I live, well most of the time, just the bigger picture. I am going to be 60 at the end of this year and as much as it’s not a big issue to me, it has got me thinking about the Class of ’79, those of us who left school in the last year of the 1970’s.

For the most part we were born in late 1962 to the summer of ’63. We were around in the swinging 60’s but grew up in the 70’s. 

I know every generation believes that they had it hardest and the others had it had it easiest. However, I think we really did…. have it both ways! We are almost the last of the Baby Boomers but by then we were also almost the first of Generation X. I believe that this makes us special, my mum always said I was special!!

We joined the “big school” in 1974, we came from St Austin’s, English Martyrs, St Ignatius, and many other catholic junior schools in the area. We met new people and developed friendships in the mixing pot that was St Thomas a Becket School. Most of us grew up together coming from the likes of Eastmoor, Lupset, Alverthorpe, Kettlethorpe, Ossett and other places around Wakefield. I recall some of the people I went through school life with, some still live in and around the Wakefield area. Others have moved further afield. Therefore, I believe we are the special ones. Yes, other generations have fledged the nest and spread far and wide but we the class of ’79 did it in greater numbers. Also, we grew up in relatively peaceful times, yes, I know about the Cuban missile crisis and the cold war and wars in southeast Asia, but as kids these things were just black and white pictures on a screen in the corner. I’m not trying to trivialize these issues but as I mentioned earlier, we grew up through the 1960’s not with the 1960’s! Our first understanding of “conflict” was who was number 1 in the pop charts. These were announced on a Tuesday, we would gather round a transistor radio to listen to the broadcast on the BBC lunchtime show and the top 20 would be played on a Sunday “teatime” where again we would stand around the radio with our new cassette recorders, recording our favorites without getting the DJ’s voice. Napster eat your heart out, we the kids of the 70’s got there first with music piracy! Is that something to shout about? 

In my opinion we were that generation that really could decide where our future lay. Some left school at 16, some at 18 after A levels and some after going on to university. I remember in the last years before we left school, we had to spend time chatting with a career counselor (not sure what they called them then, but I think that’s the modern equivalent). I remember being asked what I would like to do when I left school and recall saying I was interested in Marine Biology, to say I shocked the “counselor” would be an understatement! She asked me what my interests were and what I felt were the subjects I was good at – as I was in the top 3% of my age group, I think it’s fair to say I was fairly talented!  When I answered she suggested I should think about a “career” in the coal mines! Now don’t get me wrong I have no issue with coal miners or mines in general, my father worked down the mines his whole life but as I was reminded at his funeral last year, he did not want his kids to follow him down the mines, he wanted what he considered better for us! As I look back now on this episode of my formative years and what I have accomplished I’m glad I didn’t follow the career counselor’s advice, the only way I would have got to California would have been to dig my way here! 

All this got me thinking of the people I grew up with. Over the past few years I have reconnected with some of my old school friends through Facebook although I am no longer on that platform and have even managed to meet up a couple of time back in Wakefield. It was good to catch up and see where we had all ended up. As I mentioned above, we the last of the baby boomers and the first of the Gen X’s have really spread our wings. Talking with some it seems the health service was the choice of most of the girls I spoke with and various industries for the boys, although I must state that on the reunion occasions it was mostly girls who attended, so it's not a scientific study in anyway. 

It was also sad to hear that some of our Class of ’79 had passed away, very sad really when you consider that in some cases it was before their 50^th year! 

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As I mentioned at the top of the post, we have been back in the UK for 9 days. We celebrated the wedding of my cousin with members of the extended family and congratulated my son who got married in April. Then on to the west side of the country to see Julie’s family and to celebrate Pip’s 2^nd birthday. All around a great week both in seeing family and getting away from the normal we have at home. I’m happy to report that both sides of the family are in good health and spirits. Notwithstanding the usual aches and pains for all of us as we get older. 

As I mentioned in my last post, we have started to have our busy summer. My youngest daughter, Meg and her partner Alfie visited us in May for 2 weeks. As they have seen it all before, they were just happy to be in the sun and in the pool having a distracted time from their normal day to day routine.

We have about 4 weeks before Dominique, Hugh and Taylor make their first visit to us since we came to the US 12 years ago! To say we are excited about this is something of an understatement! There is so much we want them to see and experience that being here for 2 weeks is not enough time. Jordan, Steph and Koby should be making this trip if Jordan gets his passport in time! 

Julie has also made the decision to change her job once again. After turning 60 she was looking for a better work life balance so has decided to semi-retire and resurrect her consultancy business. This gives her the flexibility to work the days and hours she likes whilst keeping an active interest in the profession she has spent her working life in. Right now, she has 2 contracts taking up almost the whole of a week for the next few months.  Things are still going the right with my employer; we will post record results again for this year and are probably still the largest produce supplier in the world.

As always thanks for reading and stay safe.

Ciao 

Paul & Julie

June 2022