June 11, 2025: The Perfect Line

Three simple words somehow captured everything.

When I graduated high school, my yearbook had a cover slogan that stopped me in my tracks. Just three words. And after seeing it, I thought, Absolutely perfect.

Over the decades, the phrase popped into my head, especially when my kids brought home their own annuals.

Then came my son’s last year at Jamestown High School when he joined the yearbook staff. One evening, he walked into the kitchen and said, “Dad, we’re stuck. Our team needs a slogan. Got any ideas?”

Well… funny you should ask.

I told him the memorable line from my senior cover, and he got excited. After he pitched it to his classmates and teachers, they loved it, too.

So, history was made. If you compare the 2023 Jamestown High School publication to the 1988 Williams High School edition — yes, you’ll find the SAME SLOGAN.

A father and son full-circle moment.

What were those magic words? Maybe I’ve hyped them too much. Picture a stage, spotlight dimming, the curtains closing, and then…

FADE TO BLACK.

To me, those three words perfectly capture the end of an era. A farewell to a season of life. A quiet goodbye.

And this afternoon, on the last day of public school in our city, I remembered that phrase again.

Fade to black.

One chapter ends, another begins. Cue the sunscreen and 80’s music.