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On the heels of some teen partying over the bridge in Middletown that resulted in 20 positive COVID-19 test results and prompted emergency tracing by the township’s health department, we are reminded of a carefree partying time post graduation.

The time was the late 1970s and RFH was known for its parties, especially graduation parties, not that there’s anything wrong with that … Now there is. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, either. Pandemic safety first. In Middletown, no one was really concentrating on the possibility of teens drinking adult beverages at this recent party. And, at first, officials said cooperation in tracing via reporting of presence at the party was disenchantingly low. That has since changed.

One thing, or two, rather, hasn’t changed. Post-graduation partying. It has always happened, rule defiance or not. One big difference, though, from the 1970s to now is that, while it’s not at all unlikely that underage drinking happened at these “keg” parties, ahem, the drinking age back then was actually 18. At graduation time, many were, in fact, 18.

Drinking wasn’t the highlight of those parties, though. It was more about being together and making some rite of passage memories.

So, cheers to being together with classmates in the summer of senior year! Not this year, though. Don’t try this at home, kids. It’s too much of a risk right now. Stick together, not shoulder to shoulder this summer, in battling the pandemic and looking forward to close encounters of a better kind in the future.

Look back with us to those RFH close partying days and remember … Know these party peeps? Remember who hosted the graduation parties? Hmmmm.

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