THE BRITISH INVASION

Just maybe because I have my 20th high school reunion coming...wait, my 30th high school re...is it 40th? Already? What the heck happened to all those years? Oh, yeah. My son's 32; my daughter's 26. I have 3 grandchilden. Dang.

Anyway(s), my gulp 4oth high school reunion is coming up and Lord willing I'll be there. I haven't missed any yet. I find people either love or hate going to reunions. I really like to see some of my old friends. Emphasis on old, now. And we talk about the ones we'd like to see who don't come back. Usually I enjoy Friday night when we re-new old acquaintances, and the Saturday golf game. But by Saturday night's dinner and dance, I've had enough.

One thing that keeps me going is the old songs. I start singing 60's songs long before the actual reunion. Then I complain about the music they select. At one reunion, they played zero Beatles songs. What? Zilch. Well, that's not the way I remember high school.

Music was all important. To punctuate a moment, a time. I still remember typing class when Hoobie and I would type out our top 10 songs of the week. We'd exchange every Monday. We always had the same 8 or so, but it was something we did.

Invariably, The Dave Clark 5, Herman's Hermits, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Peter and Gordon, and others who followed The Beatles would make our lists.

Of course, no group could or would ever surpass The Beatles and their effects on American culture. But the British Invasion was embraced by American audiences. I hope I hear some good old DC5, including their best, "Because." But just in case, I'm preparing myself for Elvis. He was even before our times in high school twenty or thirty years ago. Ok. 40.