Originally published June 28, 2012

A couple of weeks ago, in nostalgia, I contacted Oneil Collegiate & Vocational Institute (OCVI), my high school in Oshawa, Ontario, to see if I could still get an Acti Ludi School Yearbook from 1968/9 – the year I graduated.

By the way, OCVI was built in 1909, and my Dad went there as a teenager in the 1930s before fighting in World War 2.

I no longer have the yearbook – I probably gave it to an old flame.

Although I graduated from high school that year, I never received the diploma document, and I cannot remember why.

As my regular readers know, I lived alone during my last year of high school.

My family had moved to Georgetown, Ontario, in the Summer of ’68, but I was hopelessly in love with my first love, Pauline Servinis, so I remained in Oshawa.

I had met Pauline on May 27, 1968, when I was visiting Donna, her older sister, whom my friend Glen Hahn was interested in.

However, I wasn’t interested in Donna’s friend, whose name, I think, was Karen.

The girl I was interested in was Pauline, who was sitting in the room with us.

Although we never spoke, our eyes made contact when I crossed Albert Street to buy cigarettes from Annie Fuller’s Store.

That’s all it took – our eyes meeting for only a flash of a second, but that was all it took for us to fall in love.

However, my parents told me that they would not support me financially and said that if I wanted to do it, I was on my own.

My only source of money was a part-time job at the Agnew-Surpass Shoe Store at the Oshawa Shopping Centre.

Initially, I stayed at Pauline’s sister Vicky’s home in north Oshawa. But after a few months, her husband Gerry wanted me to pay more rent money.

I decided to look for another place to live, and for a short while, I stayed at my Uncle Ron and Aunt Kay’s home in south Oshawa. But that was too long a commute to my school, and I couldn’t afford a bus fare, so I began a search for a new place to stay.

One of my friends, Bob Simpson, told me that his mom had a room available to rent on Nassau Street, behind the Midtown Mall.

Although I could barely afford a room in Mrs. Simpson’s basement ($12.00 per week). There wasn’t a kitchen, so I had to get my meals at restaurants when I had the money.

I used the laundry tubs to wash and shave, and there was also a shower stall.

Working through the last year of high school was probably my first significant achievement. 

However, after graduation, I got a full-time job, and within a few months, I proposed to Pauline.

We walked to Burns Jewelry Store on Simcoe Street, and she picked out a diamond solitaire engagement ring.

We were excited as I put the ring on her finger. I was 19 years old and Pauline was 17.

Two weeks later, she broke off the engagement and gave me back the ring.

Her father felt we were both too young to get married.

It broke my heart, and I threw the ring into the Oshawa harbour.

I continued the weekly payments to the jewelry store until it was paid in full, many months later.

I will never forget that period of my life.

Although challenging, the experience taught me a valuable lesson about perseverance and never giving up.

The 1968 Acti Ludi Yearbook – OCVI.

Anyway, back to my efforts of getting a copy of the 1968/9 Acti Ludi, my school’s yearbook.

I decided to email the school and was surprised to receive a reply the same day.

Yes, they had one left and put it aside for me, and asked me to come into the office to pick it up.

Wow, what were the chances?  

Another lesson learned: you’ll never know if you don’t ask. 

I’m glad that I asked.

I quickly replied with my thanks and indicated that I lived in Vancouver and would pay for any expenses if they shipped it to me.

But I never heard back from them.

Plan B

I sent copies of the emails to my cousin Donna Richardson (formerly Miss Oshawa), who lives in Oshawa, and asked her if she could stop by the school to pick up the book for me.

She replied that she would and said that she would ship it to me. 

Donna is such a sweetheart.

A few days later, Donna emailed me to confirm that she had picked up the yearbook and would ship it to me.

She also mentioned that she had looked through the book and was amused by the comment accompanying my school picture.

I remembered writing something that most people at that school were phonies.

At the time, I was probably jealous/envious that they were all living comfortably in their homes while I had to work through my last year of school.

But I was looking forward to re-reading my comments.

It would also be great to look at the pictures of my friends and classmates, most of whom I haven’t seen since June 1969.

Today, my doorbell rang – Purolator had a package for me!

Donna had packaged it with care – it arrived in perfect shape.

The book is now 57 years old (as of 2025), and the cover still looks as I remember it.

I quickly turned the pages until I found my picture.

Oh well, the choice of words and sentence structure could have been better, but that was me back then. 

And I guess that’s me today – same philosophy but just not as vocal – besides, who cares?

Now, I will listen to some oldies and read my Acti Ludi yearbook cover to cover.

Thanks, Donna!

Dedicated to my cousin Donna Bickell (nee Richardson).

I hope my stories are a gift to your head and heart.

Hugs,

Danny

Today’s tune from Danny’s library (purchased):

Glenn Frey: For the record, we never broke up; we just took a fourteen-year vacation.

It’s another tequila sunrise
Starin’ slowly ‘cross the sky,
They said goodbye

He was just a hired hand
Working on a dream, he planned to try
As days go by

Every night, when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
And she’s out running ’round

She wasn’t just another woman
And I couldn’t keep from comin’ on
It’s been so long

Oh, and it’s a hollow feelin’
When it comes down to dealin’ friends
It never ends

[Instrumental]

Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You’re just gettin’ numb

It’s another tequila sunrise,
This old world still looks the same,
Another frame

Songwriters: Don Henley, Glenn Frey & Don Felder

Here are other songs I’m listening to: These Songs Will Make You Smile Today.