The following keynote speech was given by Dick Plush
at the Class of 1970 52nd reunion, 15-Oct-2022:
You know how sometimes you have to step away from something to realize how wonderful it is?
Is there anybody here tonight who doesn’t realize how very fortunate we were to grow up exactly when & where we did?
We witnessed in person what most people in the country and the world watched on black & white TV, in between Leave It To Beaver (well, gee Wally...), Walter Kronkite, the Jetsons and Ed Sullivan. Whether you loved or hated them, we watched first-hand the Viet Nam war demonstrations, the fires of Martin Luther King and Resurrection city on the mall, JFK’s Funeral Procession, and Watergate on the Potomac.
Despite all the angst and confusion of the times, we lived in a funky Renaissance era when people were trying to wake up and make the world a better place. The free expression and passion of the times gave us Hey Jude, Born On The Bayou, All Along The Watchtower, Respect, Incense and Peppermints, Feelin’ All Right, Woodstock, and of course, In A Gadda Da Vida. In The Midnight Hour, with two cats in the yard, I think We’d Only Just Begun.
In the Creedence Clearwater Revival song called Fortunate Son, John Fogerty lamented against The Man, with the silver spoon in hand, that was sending him off to war. During the airplane ride out here, while thinking about the gratitude I feel for being in the W-L Class of 1970, and being here 52 years later with all our friends, I got the idea to turn that song around to suit this very time.
In honor of this occasion, and in dedication to so many people who made this weekend happen with such thoughtfulness, energy and organization, I wrote the following poem, called Fortunate Ones.
In sixty and seven we came to this place,
We’d made it to high school at last
A time of great change, putting men into space
And hormones transitioning fast.
Close to the seat of the nation’s great power
We saw more than most close at hand
Issues of war and of race in our hour
And trying to clean up the land.
How lucky we were to grow up in those times
Our music reflected the passion
Pushing the limits and bending the lines
Our parents would scoff at our fashion.
We may not have realized our fortune back then
To go to a school that was one of the best
Going to Henley, so proud of our men
Even the Washington Post was impressed.
In science and shop and in art we’d excel
Holding a film fest for schools all around
Generals afield were giving ‘em hell
Our cheerleader babes were the best to be found.
Drill team and Go-Go boys spurring us on
ELOS and Madrigals, cute Majorettes
Thespians, Band and the Choir in song
Assemblies and yearbook we never forget.
Varsity letters and going to the Prom
Smart Student Councilmen taking the reins
Learning Home Ec for the future good moms
Exploring our bodies and stretching our brains.
Hot Shoppes with tele-trays, Mario’s too
Georgetown, Smithsonian, beating O’Connell
Basketball and track, the Potomac for crew
Hall’s Hill for burgers at good ole McDonald’s.
Giffords for ice cream when out on a date
Tom Sarris for steaks if you want to impress
Say no to White Castle, and don’t you be late
When you pin the corsage, don’t mess up her dress.
Come to the Boat Club, right next to Key Bridge
It’s time for the Crew Dance and rockin’ the night
Chartreuse will be playing, move closer a smidge
I’ll give you a kiss, and we’re feelin’ all right.
I think in our heads we are all still that age
Keeping our youth in the core of our spirit
We used to be Washington-Lee, but no more
The powers that be just did not want to hear it.
Now it is Liberty, taking the L
Is that going forward, or just a disguise?
Only the books of our history will tell
If erasing our background is wise.
Regardless of what we may call ourselves now
As people we’re all still the same
To those we have lost, our heads we do bow
To be here tonight is to win at the game.
And who do we thank for the chance to be here
I think it’s a good combination
To God or whatever you hold to be dear
We’re grateful to still be on station.
But women and men put this weekend together
Faithfully every five years
Creating events for our friendships to tether
Giving their blood sweat and tears.
Countless long hours to plan and produce
Taking our inputs to heart
Tina’s the lightning rod, working with Bruce
Peetz has been here from the start.
Finding the venue and planning the dinner,
Amy’s our wonderful DJ tonight
Can’t say enough about Conrad and Skinner,
And kudos to missus McKnight.
Prodding our friends to get off of their asses
Burgess and Sullivan jumped in the fray
Don’t care how you look or what you’ve amassed
We’re glad that you’re with us today.
So thanks everybody for coming tonight
Now dance and get off of your buns.
Celebrate joyfully here with your friends.
We are the fortunate ones.
Dick Plush