This past Saturday was my high school class 45th reunion, an informal affair held in a park back home with a picnic. My friend Diana is the one who organized it, and I cannot tell you how heartbroken I am that I couldn’t be there. I’m still struggling with long covid, and unable to be outside for more than a few minutes, let alone be around more than one person without my central nervous system going haywire.
(I’m improving but know my limitations. Still, it would’ve been nice to see this crew in person, especially after losing 50 pounds this past year. What a waste of my trim bod!)
To be very honest, when Diana sent me this photo I probably recognized less than five people. We didn’t have a big class to begin with (I think the Jefferson Morgan Class of ‘79 was around 109 students) but of the classmates I was close to, none were here.
Still, I feel a real kinship with this group and may never see them again. :^(
I don’t know why, but I was never big on class reunions in the first place. I didn’t attend our 5th in 1984, because I was a college dropout and embarrassed to be working in the Garden Shop of our local Murphy’s Mart.
By the time our 10th one rolled around in 1989, I had gone back to school, got a great IT job in the city, had a closet full of suits… but was anxious to focus on my future and leave the past behind. Dumb.
I was ready to attend our 40th in 2019, but there simply wasn’t enough interest and it was canceled. Diana wanted to do a “Happy 60th Birthday Party” a year later (as most of us were turning 60) but the covid pandemic nipped that event.
Well, we have a 50th coming up in 5 more years. Diana says I’ll be attending that one for sure, we’ll see. Fingers crossed!
PS. Back in 2017, when I met up with my former classmate Karen for the first time since high school (I wrote about her here) we talked about our class and how neither of us ever went to a reunion. We made a promise to attend the next one together, which of course didn’t happen.
Karen succumbed to the rapid onset dementia she was diagnosed with last summer, and passed on August 25, 2024. Rest in peace, Karen.
Wow, that's not long between diagnosis and death. I guess long covid isn't all that bad in comparison! I am just now over my last bout with covid and am feeling like myself again, but my energy flags quickly. Sending you big virtual hugs, Doug!
ReplyDeleteThank you DJan, and I'm very glad to hear youre nearly fully revovered. When you first wrote you had it, I panicked a little inside. Bib hugs right back. 🙂
DeleteI remember your posts about the wonderful Karen. Her disease was so sad and cruel.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you missed your reunion. If your friend Diana put it together, I know it was a great time. I was like you, skipped the 5th, did attend the 10th which wasn't much, waited 15 years for the 25th which was an expensive mistake. Didn't learn my lesson and attended the 50th which was another expensive mistake. My class was probably double the size of yours. And like you, I didn't really know anyone who attended. The only people who seemed to enjoy it was a clique from high school who seem to get together regularly.
I hope you are still experiencing slow and study improvement from this crappy disease.
I should mention that the two friends I went with and I recently met for lunch with the 50th reunion photo and had a contest to see who could name the most people. We had to use our investigative skills to zoom in on snapshots on the class facebook page to read name tags, or even spouses name tags to try to match up faces. We even had a copy of the sign in sheet and there were many we could not identify.
Miss Merry, thank you so much for sharing. I have to tell you, I enjoyed reading about your own 50th reunion so much that I sent it to 5-6 friends! I plan to read it again too. 🙂 PS I hope your son-in-law is still doing good.
DeleteI’m sorry you had to miss the reunion. I went to one a year or so ago (class of ’62) and your photo looks eerily like the one taken of us – even the background looks similar.
ReplyDeleteYou worked in IT (I knew that) and had a closet full of suits? Your IT working conditions must have been different from mine. I didn’t (don’t) own a suit.
I’m sorry about your friend Karen. That sounded like an awful disease she had.
Of course, yours sounds awful too, but with our fingers crossed, we hope you can see this one off. I don’t like the thought of your central nervous system going haywire.
All the best to you, my old friend.
Thanks very much Peter, your words are much appreciated. As for the suits, we didn't go business casual until 2005. I liked dressing up for work though, made me feel more important than I was. 😉
DeleteSorry you couldn't make your reunion. But it's a nice photo! I went to my 10th and really enjoyed catching up, seeing everyone. I went to my 25th, and thought it was really irrelevant to my life, and decided it was time to move on. But ya know, I envy people who are still friends with their high-school buddies.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom, I envy those lifelong friends too.
DeleteI only went to one high school reunion, and that to keep my best friend company. I graduated in 1961, in a class of 75. Our 50th reunion has come and gone. The most interesting thing about that class is that the majority of the class not only live in our home town, they still live in their old neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteWow Joanne, that's amazing. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your friend and also missing the reunion. I went to my tenth, was bored stiff and couldn't wait to leave, not sorry I ever went to another. My class had 334 grads and I keep in touch with exactly one. My class originally had over 600 students, we had to eat lunch in the hallways and carry all our belongings with us all day because there weren't enough lockers! Thankfully after sophomore year, they built a new high school and our class was split. I think smaller schools are probably better for long-term camaraderie. Hope you continue to improve so you can make your next reunion!
ReplyDeleteWow, very interesting! I can't imagine a class that large, but yep I only stay in touch with one as well. Sigh, I feel old! Thank you for sharing Bobi.
DeleteVery sorry that you couldn't go, Doug. I just had my 50th and it was fun although a bit too long. I'm not as great a conversationalist as I used to be and get worn out by social chit chat. Still, looking at the In Memoriam table, it made me happy to re-connect with friends from high school and share our memories of that time. Who knows how many more opportunities we'll get?
ReplyDeleteThank you Margaret and I was just thinking about you! I read your recent post about your upcoming reunion this weekend too. Well, I'm glad you had a nice time and honestly I find it hard to believe it was your 50th. I plan to make it to the next one no matter what.
DeleteOh, Dug, I've never gone to any of my high school reunions. But my BFF I grew up with goes to all of them and sends me pics. She's the only one of the 4 of us that were friends that goes. And in the pics I only recognized 2 people (class of 63). But I am sorry that you missed this one... next year for sure!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rian, you really gave me a smile this morning. 🙂
DeleteHi Doug. It's so good to hear from you! I've never attended a HS reunion. I came from a small class (~150) and never kept in touch with anyone from my class. BUT, (and it's a big but), I have friendships now that I cherish. They say that social connections are especially important as we age. And that includes blog friendships! So in that department, I would say you are a rich man.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you are still suffering from long covid. I look forward to hearing about continued improvement in your health, and someday hopefully it will be in your rear view mirror. Sending hugs.
Carole
Carole, you're such a kind person. This was very nice of you, thank you.
DeleteSorry Doug, you were unable to attend your high school reunion. Everyone looks very happy in the photo. I have never attended a high school reunion either. Just this past week though we went back to our hometown and met up with friends from high school. We hadn’t seen them since their wedding day 35 years ago. We all happened to be in town at the same time.It was rather surreal talking about old times. Like you and Chuck one of our friends is suffering from long Covid too. I hope you continue to improve and you will attend the next reunion.❤️
ReplyDeleteRobin
Hi Robin, thanks so much for sharing. Gosh how interesting, it seems like more people don't attend reunions than do. But I am very sorry to hear about your friend with LC. I wish I knew just one person with it to talk and relate to. Give Chuck my best. ❤️
DeleteI went to most of my class reunions as well as David's. Lots of fun. Ours was a huge class of over 500 students so the reunions were well attended. Many classmates have died. We are now 78 yes old.
ReplyDeleteGigi, I saw your reunions in years past on your blog. They looked amazing, I can't imagine! 🙂
DeleteGlad to see you able to publish a report, Doug. Awful to think that Karen died by rapid onset dementia. Sounds vile. Nope, never went or even knew of a reunion to my high school. I did, however, go to a public school reunion many years ago. It was a little, one room, red brick school house serving a farming community. When I was a pupil there, one teacher taught (or tried to teach) eight grades for a total of thirty kids.
ReplyDeleteThank you Florence, and gosh that sounds so sweet your one room schoolhouse. One teacher for 8 different grades, I love it.
DeleteDoug, I am delighted to see a new post! I was "Class of 1971". We were a smaller class than yours, only 50. You would think we would have been close. There has only been one reunion as far as I know--our 20th back in 1991. I didn't go as I was busy with my family and small son as well as a career change at the same time. With Facebook now it seems that some don't see the relevance of an "in person" reunion. Most keep up with the few close people online. There would likely have been a 50th reunion but that was spring/summer of 2021 and covid was still an issue. I would probably try to go if there was one but I now live 1400 miles away so it would be a big deal to get there. Not totally sure it would be something I would do. ( Interestingly, I attended my wife's 15th reunion with her back in the late 80s and I think I enjoyed it as much, maybe more, than she did! I had no "past" with the people so it was just a fun event.)
ReplyDeleteMy gosh Don, how interesting. Thanks for sharing, I'm feeling a little less odd now. And you're right about social media changing things. I'm tempted to rejoin Facebook.
DeleteOh, you really should be on social media, Doug. It is a wonderful way to keep up and to make new friends. You do have to curate your "friends" but you seem to do a good job of that here on your blog so it should be easy for you to do. I love social media.
DeleteThanks dk, I've been thinking of rejoining Facebook. I was on there for a few years, but closed my account in 2016 because I felt I was spending too much time there. Who knows.. :^)
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about your friend's passing. So young. I don't do reunions. Mainly because my class only had one at 10 years and I did attend but we had all gone different directions, and like you, our class was small, only 99 graduates. Then came Vietnam, drugs, alcohol. Age and illness have now taken quite a few more. There are probably only about 50 of us left, if even that many.
ReplyDeleteThank you dkzody. And I see what you mean, especially the era after your own graduation. It's been a sad surprise learning recently how many people have passed in my own class as well.
DeleteGreat picture, I'm sorry you aren't in it, but sounds like it would be too soon for you to try such a thing. Maybe next time. Meanwhile hope you have better days coming soon. I wonder if there is an on line support group for LC sufferers? Surely there is? You might be a great help to someone by participating, as well as perhaps finding some comfort yourself.
ReplyDeleteWarm regards,
Ceci
Thanks so much Ceci, I appreciate your feedback. I actually tried taking part in a couple LC groups, but people have so many symptoms and do so many drugs, supplements, therapies etc it just becomes too taxing. It just needs time and rest. I'm getting there. 🙂
DeleteWhen I think about my high school years, it always gives me a chuckle to think that back then, I looked at people who are my current age and thought they were old. Now I am looking at all those kids in high school and thinking, 'My gosh. They are SO young!'
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies on the passing of your friend Karen's passing. Far too soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm not big on reunions either, though attend our 10th (1987). I've seen the photos on FB of the more recent reunions and have no clue who the majority of the people are....even those who were the most popular kids.
Sounds like you are doing your best to continue your progress on dealing with your long Covid. Take care!
Thank you for your kind words and sharing Maebeme. I always look forward to your comments.
DeleteI’m sorry for your loss. It’s truly difficult to lose someone you care about so deeply. You never get over missing them so much.
DeleteBeth
Thank you Beth.
DeleteI only went to one class reunion. I think it was my 20th. I saw enough to realize that I wasn't missing anything. So I have religiously skipped them ever since.
ReplyDeleteYou know, just yesterday, I read about a young man, only 19 years old. He's been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the youngest patient ever. What a horrible disease that is. My condolences on the loss of your friend.
Thank you Debby and I am very sorry your comments always take forever to appear on my blog--I don't get it.
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