Bittersweet reunion

Bittersweet reunion

This Friday and Saturday, my NHS Class of 1967 will celebrate its 50th class reunion. We will once more gather as we did so many times throughout the years as fellow classmates. I am sure everyone will be happy to see these old friends but there will be some “bittersweet” emotions accompanying our reunion.

One cannot return to a 50th reunion without recognizing what to me requires some effort, that of accepting the actual number of years involved. One of the things I have learned about age and my acceptance of my senior citizenship is how very difficult it is to realize actually how old I and my fellow classmates have become.

In my mind I am still the same individual I have been forever. Perhaps that is the way human beings deal with aging. Our bodies age and they most certainly indicate to us the infirmities that come with that process but in our psyche we are still young adults.

In preparation for this reunion several of my ‘67 classmates have worked on a reunion committee to try our best to ensure that we have been able to get the event dates and times notifications to everyone. That has not been easy and there are several we simply have not been able to locate.

Some of our classmates have declined to attend. I presume there are many reasons for their decisions but I suspect that aging issues are likely at the top of their lists. All of us have endured the ravages of the aging process. Whether it is one’s timeworn appearance or a physical condition, it is my guess that some who don’t plan to attend simply don’t like to appear in public often. That is sad, because none of us are even close to the people we once were. As the saying goes, “we are all in the same boat.”

Our class has had some type of reunion every five years except for the 15th and 35th years. As I look back in my mind to those reunions I realize how differently we celebrated them throughout the years.

Our 20-year reunion was perhaps the one that I recall for its magnitude. It was a two-day affair including multiple events, culminating with a large dinner and a 60’s era dance band.

We had not lost many class members as of that time, compared to our declining numbers today. We had a large turnout and we partied as if we were still adolescents. I can assure you that the activity level at this upcoming reunion will be quite a bit more sedate. There will be no band or late night partying. Mostly we will gather and reminisce in small intimate groups. The days when we were trying to impress each other have long passed.

There have been many books and movies that have used a class reunion for the setting of their plots. Often the theme is based upon a former love interest. I am not sure if any of our classmates ever had such secret and brief reunion affairs but I would be a fool to not consider that as a likely possibility. I doubt that we will have any of that type of behavior at this reunion. I am not saying that there won’t be romantic memories but that is where they will likely remain.

Nothing will cause more consternation among our group this weekend than the discussions about health and mortality. I am reminded of a couple of people who make this all too real for me.

Two of the young men I graduated with, and who were also members of our football team, were Doug Pettibon and Randy Fellows. For years, both worked on the reunion committees. We have lost many other classmates over the years but these men were so close to me for so many years and their absence is difficult for me and many others.

In our reunion committee meetings we are always shocked when someone in the group tells of the loss or another former classmate or when we are updated with current news of another’s health issues.

One simply cannot attend a 50th class reunion without dealing with these issues. For me and many others, it is imperative that we know how our former classmates are doing. A visit, a call, or just an email, from one of your former classmates, can be very encouraging. None of us is immune to our future prospects. A 50th reunion only reinforces that recognition. We have not given up, but we know that we are much closer to the end game.

Having dealt with the bittersweet emotions I will spend the rest of this article on a more upbeat set of thoughts. The first of these in involves excitement. I don’t care if it has been 50 years, I am excited at the prospect of seeing some old friends once more. The simple pleasure one receives from this makes it all worthwhile for me.

Renewal is another gratifying expectation. I so look forward to reconnecting with some friends. In many cases we have lost contact through the years. In this era of email, Facebook, and texting, I anticipate being able to enjoy more regular connections.

A class picture is always a highlight of every reunion gathering. That has certainly changed over these five decades. I am sure that as we group together this time there will be many of the guests taking pictures on their “smart phones.”

My how things have changed over the years. It was at our 40th reunion just 10 years ago, when Jack Payne showed up with one of the first iPhones we had ever seen.

My class is hosting a mixer at the Iguana Azul Friday from 6:30 p.m. until ....? We are inviting friends and former NHS classmates from years near our era to come by for a visit. Please join us, and help make this the best reunion ever.