Five friends in California John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer-Clery, Dallas Burney, John Moloney, and John Dixon have been taking the same group photo at Copco Lake for 40 years. Every five years they sit down in the same order, after taking an empty jar and hat with them, and repeat the picture. Neither the pandemic nor cancer experienced by one of them could prevent them from continuing the tradition this year.
Here are all 9 pictures taken by Californians from 1982 to 2022, where, right before our eyes, five young people turn into well-aged, grown-up men.
#01. The year 1982
Five Santa Barbara High School teens took their first photo in a familiar pose using the camera’s automatic timer, CNN writes. And it has become their tradition!
#02. The year 1987
Recreating the photo has important rules: Rumer-Clery always has a hat on her lap, Moloney holds the jar in her right hand, and Dixon’s arms are always crossed.
#03. The year 1992
The frequency of the reunion of the guys at the lake for a photo is every 5 years!
#04. The year 1997
Meet the characters from left to right. John Wardlaw is a filmmaker and photographer based in Bend, Oregon. Mark Rumer-Clery is a software engineer who founded Occam Networks. He is now retired and lives in Portland, Oregon.
#05. The year 2002
Dallas Burney, a US Air Force veteran, begins his 23rd year of teaching in Northern California this fall. John Moloney is a photographer based in New Orleans.
#05. The year 2007
Finally, John Dixon is the only one still living in Santa Barbara, where he runs the SantaBarbara.com travel website.
#05. The year 2012
When the photos of the friends went viral, Rumer-Clery became especially popular on the streets with his 201-centimeter height and special facial hair. Strangers often stop him by saying, “You look familiar, but I can’t remember why.”
#05. The year 2017
Between 2017 and 2022, Dallas Burney survived cancer that made his friends afraid that their next photo would show one blank spot. But everything worked out!
#05. The year 2022
Over the years, the back of the bench on which friends sit also ages.
We are getting a little older, and heavier. Behind this bench is a 9-meter cliff. One day I’m afraid to hear it crack.
Now four of the friends are 59 years old, and Rumer-Clery is 58.
Well, we are waiting for the next photo in 2027!