Tomorrow is my anniversary

On May 29, 1974 myself and 91 others from my hometown graduated from High School.
That date is etched in my memory forever, with Bucky Burkhalter (who was the principal at the time)

^{This is from a hs yearbook}

threatening to not let me graduate because I wore blue jeans, tennis shoes and no tie for the ceremony.

If my daddy hadn't just died a few months before he might very well have denied me.

It didn't make sense to me, no one could see whether I had a shirt and tie on under the gown. It was hot and muggy as always in S Ga, so I opted for comfort over "propriety".

^{This was a few months later}
Then later, the sheriff and a bunch came down to our river house to bust the big drug party, only find there was none, just a bunch of us cooking a (stolen) goat and having a good time.
47 years have long gone, many of those I graduated with have also gone away, automobile accidents, drug overdoses, murders... most of those I see photos of look like they've been road hard and hung up wet as the saying goes, but then again,
Look at me!
Then and now:

Although, I think my hair is longer now than it was then
(from last Dec.)

"Happy 47th Anniversary, CHS class of '74"

^by
Jerry E Smith
©May 28th, two thousand twenty one
All images are mine

^{Self Portrait from about 1978}