Oliver — song for a disaster zone

The mind is a strange thing. It can forget where my car keys are in the morning, and remember the most inconsequential things in the evening.

Take tonight, for example. I was driving home from work, listening to the 7 p.m. news on CBC. The station was reporting an update on the terrible mud slide in Oliver.

I was born in Oliver, and grew up there. It’s a wonderful little town, and I’ve been thinking about it since the news of the slide came out last weekend. I found myself humming, then singing, the school song for what is now South Okanagan secondary school, which was South Okanagan high school when I graduated in 1962.

Without fumbling a single word, I sang the song I thought I’d long forgotten….

Throughout the years, may this our song,

Bring memories of happy days of old.

Loud be the cheers, sung loud and long,

That echo through where’er our flag unfolds.

For we are the students of the finest school, the best school in the land,

Where brave deeds together with the golden rule, go always hand in hand.

So stand up and cheer for our comrades dear, our victory flag must fly,

One, two, three, rah rah rah, who are we, rah rah rah

We’re the S.O. High!

From what recess of the brain that comes from, I have no idea. But if I ever run into an old schoolmate from the S.O. High I’ll be able to impress them.