Sorry, but that’s impossible. Literally impossible. My sixtieth high school graduation reunion was this past Saturday in Berkley, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. I can’t believe it’s been sixty years. What the heck! Boy, did that ever sneak up on me. Where, oh where does the time go? I couldn’t make it, unfortunately, but I was there in spirit. Some of my former classmates, posting on Facebook, have said how well it was attended and how much fun everyone had. I honestly can’t remember how many students were in my high school graduation class, a few hundred for sure, and there were apparently over one hundred at this latest reunion.
For reasons I can’t explain, I’ve never made a class reunion. My bad as I had the most wonderful classmates and many were close friends. It would have been a hoot to have seen some of them after sixty years. How many would I have recognized and how many would have recognized me? Probably not many as I’ve had my beard for fifty-three years. Even my two girls have never seen me without a beard. In pictures, yes, but not in person. I’ve seen some photographs from the reunion and I’ll be darned if I recognize anyone. Everyone was wearing name tags, but I couldn’t make out any of the names. I still can’t get over that – sixty years since my high school graduation.
I received an email from the organizers of the reunion. It included contact information for, I would venture a guess, ninety-five percent of my former classmates. It also included names of those who are deceased which broke my heart. One hundred and forty-five of my classmates have passed away, most of whom I wasn’t even aware that they had passed on, with some of them being very good friends from my past, both male and female. It made me reflect back on my life and how lucky I am to still be hanging around. At any rate, Marie, Claudia, and Nancy have gotten rave reviews on how well they organized everything. What an effort you put in, as it was no doubt a big job.
I must confess that the main reason I was hesitant to attend was that being an international traveler I would have had to deal with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and that made it a very difficult decision for me. I don’t want to be judgmental, but I am quite aware of their reputation and I don’t need to be fingerprinted or photographed when all I wanted to do was attend a class reunion. And heaven forbid they review my cell phone, laptop, or iPad, which they’re allowed to do. I certainly have nothing to hide, but it’s the principle of the matter. Who needs it? So, the decision was made as I also had to think of my family here on Vancouver Island. It is a sign of the times, I guess.
Now, a message to any young people who might read this blog. Treasure your time on this planet as time goes by too fast. Don’t blink. If you’re lucky enough to have lived seventy-eight years like I have, enjoy every moment. Are you still in high school, college or university? Hug your classmates and hang onto those precious friendships you make in your youth, or any age for that matter. Life is short. Did I really graduate from high school sixty-years ago? No way!
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