Chester and Dennis Epps were friends from Edwards

Chester and Dennis Epps were friends from Edwards. My new friends were James Cole, Brad Norton and Patrick White. Notice that I did not think of girls at this point in my life as particular friends, they were just acquaintances.

My entry to the 7th grade was marked by fear of hazing. I am so pain adverse that I worried that the 8th and 9th graders would do degrading or hurtful things to me. As is usual, the fear was worse than the reality.

This may have been the first year for advanced classes in the Beaumont Independent School District. I mention this because all of my friends were bright kids in the advanced classes. Patrick White (later Sullivan played a cello in orchestra and James Cole Brad Norton and I were in band. I played trumpet.

Brad, Patrick and James