Name: Marleen Swanson  (2004)

 

Personal narrative:

The years have gone by.  I talk with colleagues’ and realize they weren’t even born when I graduated from high school – oh well!  We are blessed to be here to talk about it.

 

My life has been good but like all has had its ups and downs.  I chose to be a dietitian only because my advisor told me I’d never get out of school unless I chose a major.  It’s allowed me to really find work.  Can’t computerize eating! (Or outsource to India.)  I have also been able to see the world with it.

 

My major regret is certainly not having the family that most of you have had.  But life does go on.  I am blessed with an extended family that is dear to me.  For that reason, it was time to return to my roots – so I moved to Denver a year ago.  I work at Johnson & Wales University in Denver in the Culinary Arts Department teaching nutrition and food science.  I also am directing the development of a Bachelor of Science program in Culinary Nutrition to begin September 2005.  I am hoping this will close my professional career and I can slip into retirement!  Those of you who have already retired, I’m jealous but congrats – I’m right behind you!!!

 

A Loveland memory from 1950/60 era!

As for memories of high school, wow!!  We were so lucky to grow up when we did.  The pressures on our lives were certainly not the same as exists today.  We weren’t concerned with guns, knives and drive-by shootings.  Coke to us was what we drank at Santeramoes with pizza – not that beer wasn’t around – Oh horrors!

 

Certainly my fondest memories were all of you!  We had such fun – sports, Wigwam, Rag Day, Annual stuff, Latin, gorgeous Mr. DeFries, etc,  And how many times was I left on the corner during a Chinese fire drill while cruising Loveland!!

 

Specifics – I remember when Terrie Loomis fainted in Mrs. Cuney’s English class,  Mrs. C merely asked a student to get the nurse and went on with the class while Terrie lay on the floor (or was that “lie”).  And then there was when Gary Gray so readily fabricated the story of the “ghost” in the mountains.  So of course, it’s a joke!  Some 30 of us piled in cars to have a laugh only to have this “ghost” come out from behind some tombstone!!!  We couldn’t get back to our cars and out of there fast enough. Of course, later we learned the ghost was Gary himself!!

 

Anyway, my best wishes to each of you for making those years so special!!  Happy 40th – has a good ring to it – if it were our age!!!