50 years have passed…how did that happen?
I remember walking down the long hallway to class…
This coming Saturday is my 50th class reunion. How did this even happen? I have heard other people talking about their 50th and think to myself.. wow those guys are old….LOL..Now who’s the old person? But in all honesty, I don’t feel any older than I did back when I walked down the hall in high school. They were fun days and I enjoyed all the friends I made.Those days and the people are forever etched in my heart and mind.
I look forward to these reunions every 5 years and I didn’t even graduate with my class due to my leaving in 11th grade. Back in the 60’s you couldn’t continue to go to school after they found out you were pregnant. But I stayed in touch with my classmates and went to every single reunion we ever had. I was even on the reunion committee for awhile. The class reunions give me a chance to see people who live out of the area and even people who still live in town and I never get a chance to see.
There are so many people from my class and people I talk to that say, “I would never go to my class reunion.” I don’t get that. School wasn’t always a happy place for me, I was made fun of for various reasons and it wasn’t exactly a good time in my life when I was asked to leave due to being pregnant. I quickly found out who my friends were during that time. I can understand not going if you were bullied or mistreated, but some of the people who don’t show up were the most popular ones in school.
I really enjoy catching up with old friends, the kids I ran around with during both elementary school and high school.. some of who I have been friends with since 1st grade. Seeing them now in person after all these years will make it even more special. It is easier to stay in touch with people these days due to social media. But while seeing and talking to them on FB is awesome… I want to see them in person and be able to give them a hug. Not a virtual one…a real one. I am excited that a few friends I haven’t seen in ages are going to be at this reunion. At least they have had their pictures posted on FB so I will recognize them.
Usually I stay close to a friend who helps me remember who people are. Even with their name tags on… I still don’t remember them. My friend will give me a reminder of some sort and then that hopefully brings back some kind of a recollection of who the person is. Sometimes it doesn’t. If not, I just smile and talk to them like I know who they are. I don’t think they ever know that I don’t recognize them. At least I hope not…It’s not them..it’s me..
“A trip to nostalgia now and then is good for the spirit.” ~ Don Bartolovic
The reunions remind me of the many happy years I spent growing up in my home town. All the fun times in high school going to football games, basketball games and the ever popular school dances. Or even just walking around town and hanging out in the parking lot at the high school in the evenings. Our little town was close knit back then..people knew everyone. All the mothers knew every other mother’s kids, hence we all knew to behave around them or suffer the consequences when we got home. I remember quite a few times walking in the door and Mom waiting there to confront me about something I had done that day… and we didn’t even have cell phones or computers. All we had were “moms”…
So yes, to say I’m excited is putting it mildly. I can’t wait to see some of these people. Actually all of them..well almost all of them. There is that one person I’m not too sure about but we will see how that goes. Some of the longest friendships I have are the ones I made in school. These friends have been there for me through out my entire life. Over 60 years. Running into some “new” old friends that I haven’t had a chance to be around in years will be amazing. Just thinking of them, and all the happy times we shared… brings a smile to my face.
I think we valued people and our friendships more back then. It seems like it to me anyway. I know people are always talking about how many friends I have and that they don’t have many at all. Why is that? I don’t do anything special. I don’t feel like I even do enough sometimes… But I love my friends and I tell them I love them. They know they are important to me. They are “my tribe”… and I honestly don’t know where I would be without them.
I need to close now and go work on my outfit for Saturday. I might as well start trying things on since I know it will take me forever to get just the right look. You know, the one…the one that will make me look 30 years younger and 20 pounds lighter. I will be doing a follow up post after the reunion….so you all will know how it went and how seeing that “one person” went as well. Wish me luck…
Do you go to your class reunions and do you enjoy them? Do you still have friends from elementary school and high school that you stay in close touch with?
“That’s the fun of going to a high school reunion: It’s seeing people who you were close to all those years ago, and re-exploring the relationships of the past.” ~ Jon Hurwitz
I’m in touch with the one person I give a hoot about from that era. We moved the year I started high school and the kids were mean and downright cruel. The girl I was friends with was also a transplant and I was so grateful for her then as I am now. I am dying with curiosity about how it went for you!
Pam, I get it…and I will be writing the “follow up” tonight…LOL
I attended my 50th Reunion Saturday a week ago at the Country Club of York. Just to think, in 1967 when I graduated, Blacks and Jews weren’t allowed admittance under any circumstances. Besides seeing people that I hadn’t seen “forever”, the venue had an added significance. Way back in 1983 I had attended my late mother’s 50th York High Reunion. One of her proudest life’s accomplishments was the fact that she was the sole survivor of only three blacks who had graduated from that 1933M York High Class. Renee, like you, I, albeit under obviously different circumstances, didn’t graduate with my class. I left for boarding school after 10th grade. It was gratifying to be remembered by kids, some who I had only known for that one year. For some it seemed like I had just seen them the day before in class. After leaving York and York High in 1965, I only returned sporadically until 1976 when I came back a married man. So I wasn’t around for those years immediately after High School when kids continue to hang out and party. My only contacts were established relatively recently through these Facebook groups. So with most of the “kids” this was the first time in 52 years we have spoken. My wife and I had a tremendously good time. She was apprehensive about going. You see, she is from West Springfield, MA and was meeting these people for the first time. Everyone, as York countians are wont to be, were ever so gracious. I think she may have even made a few new friends. So for everyone who’s trying to decide whether or not to go to their reunion, by all means GO! I’m sure you’ll have a great time, just as I did.
Kehl, sounds like you had a wonderful time and your wife too…Thanks for commenting…
I only missed the first one cause I thought I’d be embarrassed cause I was already divorced.. I know its hard to believe, but NO ONE knew ME in school. I was so quiet and shy HONESTLY. Just ask anyone. However, after my divorce, I BLOSSOMED into this fun loving NUT case you know now, hahaha. Our 50th was awesome fun. I now know MORE people than I did back then, its so funny. I’m looking forward to part 2 about the ONE person, hahaha. I saw your pics and read your Fb posts so I know you enjoyed. I wish I woulda come over to CRASH the party and at least SEE YOU ….been forever girlfriend. Love ya.
I agree Susie, I know more people and have more fun now too! Although I did have fun in school…a little too much in fact! LOL
I stay in touch with friends from those years, but I don’t go to reunions. Maybe because I live so far away and am never back home when they’re taking place.
Renee, I’ve enjoyed the class reunions I’ve attended. Really loved reconnecting. Now it’s harder as I’m in LA and my schools are back in Chicago. I have to be selective. A big one
comes up in two years. Beth
Beth, thank you….I am lucky mine is only an hour away…i’m sure you want to go to the big one coming up!
I don’t go to school reunions – but I did belong to a fantastic youth group throughout my teens (which several of my school friends also attended) and I jump at every reunion they have, so I get how excited you are to be seeing everyone again. And yes, Facebook makes keeping up with everyone so much easier doesn’t it. Looking forward to your review and recap (hopefully with a pic or two of you in that dress that makes you look 30 years younger and slimmer – I’ll need to know where you bought it!)
Pretty sure I will be doing some kind of post about it…I will be sure to have a pic of me…it’s actually a long black sweater…which I’m hoping is very slimming…
I attended my 40th class reunion this year. It was lovely, and, thanks to social media, much of the stigma associated with class reunions (what will he/she look like?) is diminished. I had to travel to go to the reunion, but I was involved in it because we revived the school paper and made a special class reunion edition, with submissions from classmates, news about faculty and classmates, and, of course, obits. This meant a lot to everyone, even those who couldn’t make it.
Yes, Pennie thankfully most of those issues are long gone now…however there is this one issue….and if anything happens you will read about it next week…LOL…that is so cool you revived the paper…I’m sure everyone loved it!
I THINK the last reunion I went to, was the 25th. I wasn’t going to go to this one, but ultimately changed my mind. Maybe it was because I have someone to go with. For many years I had to do things alone and I just skipped a lot of things. It will be great to see friends I haven’t seen in years. That is true about the “mom network”…we had to be careful to hide much of what we did. LOL Looking forward to seeing the next chapter of the Renee and ? saga. See you there. Love ya.
Well we shall see…hopefully there is no “saga”….LOL..looking forward to seeing you and all the rest….Love you!!
Neat post. I came from a high school graduating class of 718 stretched over a 25 square mile area encompassing our city and its neighboring suburbs. Closeness was most important to the guys in my neighborhood. One graduated a year before me and the others graduated from the large Catholic high school in the city. When I went to college, it was smaller than my high school. Therefore, the close knit structure of West York was missing in my home city of New Bedford. At 17, I went off to college two hours away and at 21 moved four states away to take a teaching job. I am looking forward to meeting many of Peg’s fellow classmates and their spouses at the reunion. Looking forward to friendly conversation and good food.
Yes, our little town of WY was close…and I so enjoyed it! Looking forward to seeing you guys on Sat!