The

MEGAPHONE

Elwood, Indiana                                                  Elwood High School(s)

Volume 6, No. 5                                                                                    Sunday, May 1, 2005

Contents

Page 1 . . . Look What’s Happened in 50 or 60 Years -- Dewey W. Smith

Page 2 . . . When I Think of Elwood -- Jane Ann (Seright) Lemen

Page 3 . . . Mindy -- Norma (Barmes) Abbott

                            Class of '55 Reunion -- Class of '55

                                     There Is A Face In The Window -- Cindy (Benedict) Odom

Page 4 . . . What Was My Mother Thinking? -- Trent Toensing & Craig Toensing

Page 5 . . . How Does It Feel To Be Old? -- Ann (Southern) Singleton & Jerry McClish

Page 6 . . . To Us Kids Who Survived -- Judy (Cain) Piemme

Page 7 . . . The Mother Figure -- Carol (Kochman) Lewellen

Page 8 . . . Momentous Occasions / Era / Aging -- Diane (Usfo) Peters
Page 9 . . . A Higher Purpose -- Marilyn (Kohn) Thornberry

                            Tribute To A Kite -- Cindy (Benedict) Odom
                                     A Little On The Blooper Side -- Louise (Mountcastle) Romine

Look What’s Happened in 50 or 60 Years

by Dewey W. Smith

In about 1930, Mr. D. L. Brookie gave me a ride into San Pierre in his new Studebaker President. I looked over at the speedometer and it said 60. It almost did it. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

When they took the picture of my sisters Junior Class play participants, they were all sitting on a sofa. My sister was sitting on the arm of the sofa and her knee showed a little. She made them paint over it. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

This morning I watched about three hours of the inauguration of the new Pope from Vatican City. This was live and in color. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

While studying "Midsummer’s Night Dream" in Latin class, the show was on in the theatre in Monticello. Our entire class went with our teacher to see the show. There was a big gasp from the crowd when we heard "Out Damn Spot." What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

At about the same time, "Gone With The Wind" came out. Clark Gable -- or Brett Butler said, "Frankly, my dear I don't give a damn.” Several people would not go to this show or let their children go. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

Then the show "The Outlaw" came out with Jane Russell. When the man was sick and chilling and they could not get him warm, she crawled into bed with him to use her body heat to warm him up. You never saw two people in the same bed. Either you saw one at a time or twin beds. “The Outlaw” was outlawed. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

Back then we had the bi-planes or the Piper Cubs. They made maybe 200 mph. Now the jets make 2000 mph. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

Charles Lindberg flew solo over the Atlantic. What is that now -- a two hour jaunt? What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

Many years ago they had the comic strip "Buck Rogers." He was always flying to the moon or other planets in his space ship. This was so far fetched that I would not read it. What a difference 50 or 60 years make.

Dewey W. Smith
The Old Dewey, Monon '39