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Why We Are Here
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This is a copy of one of the first
messages posted on the old ORHS Group at
Yahoo! Even after almost 3 years, it still explains in a
nutshell why we started this. |
"Folks,
This group was started as a place for us to gather socially and have a
good time. Over the past months, we have assembled a diverse group of
participants. Sometimes, we discuss silly sh*t and sometimes it takes
on a more serious tone. Irregardless of the subject matter, please
treat your fellow classmates with respect. I have received innumerable
messages which indicate many of you now perceive this group as a type
of extended family unit. Often times, emotions run high. If it starts
to get heated or personal, please take the exchange to private email
and resolve it.
Lastly - are you still reading? - I am enclosing a message which is
one of the first few messages posted here and will give you new folks
an idea of how we ended up doing this and remind you veterans that
sometimes the simplest things in life are the most important.
Andy Jones
ORHS Group Moderator
Class of '74
From: "AndyJ"
Date: Wed Dec 19, 2001 8:46 pm
Subject: Reggie Roebuck started this......
You can find anything and everything on the Internet. Several weeks
after 9/11/2001, I unearthed all of my ORHS and JJHS yearbooks and
spent several hours looking through them. I was struck by the
differences 25 or 30 years can make. For some reason, I didn't feel
that old until I started looking through all the pictures with long
hair and polyester. I particularly noticed all the cool, old cars
(duh) and the absence of computers and cell phones. Funny what we take
for granted, isn't it?
Since I was in the retro mode, I logged into the Internet and
accessed the archives of The Oak Ridger. They only have the last 5 or
6 years online but a search for "1974" turned up some interesting
results. One of them was an obituary for Reggie Roebuck.........
Reggie was in my class and I remember him as always having a smile on
his face and being something of a prankster. He died in 1999 in
Athens, GA. No additional information such as cause of death or family
left behind was available. The brief lines of his obituary have been
on my mind daily for the last month. We weren't close friends but I
find myself asking questions like What was he doing in Athens? Did he
have a family that was now fatherless? Why did he die at such a young
age?
I think everyone took stock following 9/11 and quite a few people re-
assessed their priorities. Relationships with family and friends
certainly moved up the Top Ten list. With Reggie's death fresh on my
mind, I found myself wondering what had happened to many of my high
school friends. That is the reason for this group.........
Enjoy!
Andy Jones
ORHS Class of '74
December 2001"
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