Lisa Miller Sablosky and Hilary “Pinky” Rose

New Trier East High School offered transportation via a yellow school bus in 1966. Our group of girlfriends had no interest in signing up. Armed with our newly acquired drivers’ licenses from the State of Illinois, we tried to convince our mothers that they could do without their cars just one day each week so we could create a carpool – five girls, one for each school day’s round trip drive to New Trier.  Bargie, Joan, Susan, and the two of us.

Miraculously, they agreed. And so the group, much later to be known as “The Carpoolers,” was born and carried us through to graduation in June of 1968. And then some . . .

And those rides to and from school were memorable. We were always busy chatting about homework and boys and college and our parents (who were often juicy topics for discussion). We often ran out of our homes and jumped in the car eating some version of breakfast, our outfits not yet fully intact or with jumbo curlers still in our hair. We were yanking down our too short skirts and yanking up our panty girdles and hose. Panty hose were still not a common wardrobe accessory.

One girl was always late and her mother’s car unreliable; one was always early and ready to zoom home right after school; and one had to cram in a younger sister on her assigned day. But we managed to get there every day, leaving our car in the Elder Lane lot and trudging the few short blocks in all kinds of weather, ready for our school day. 

And we bonded. We commiserated. We laughed and cried. And we stayed friends for many, many years . . .

2010 was the year of our sixtieth birthdays. We gathered. And laughed and cried and shared. One of the members of the group had “carpoolers” bracelets made for everyone and we wore them as a sign of camaraderie and for good karma.

Sadly, one of our original group is no longer with us. But we all remember those days fondly and feel enriched by the friendships that began at age 16 and continue today.

Hilary (aka Pinky) Rose is a wife, mom, photo stylist, and field editor, looking to add retiree to her resume