Fifty-Eight !! 58 !! Most of the time I do not even feel 58 years old. Then the math unremittingly insists that it has been that many years since high school graduation. I missed last year's gathering. Had not been to one since #50 and it , like the one today, was but a couple of miles from where we live. (While I did not attend last year's reunion, a picture from the event prompted my writing of the earlier post "Once Upon a Time".)
Our numbers have declined . . . of the original 44, eleven have died ... eight of the men and three women. Two men died within the past year. One of those had been a close high school friend. ("Marlin . . . In Memoriam") The other had been the class prankster. Today, there were 17 of us who gathered, along with guests.
Evidences of accumulating years and health challenges were unmistakeable. At times, the mood turned 'heavy' as
we remembered losses and spoke of rough spots along the way. Despite that, there was an authentic delight in seeing each other and in re-hearing some old stories and a few new ones: Carl's telling of cheerleading for NC State:"Give me an 'S', Give me a 'T', Give me an 'A', Give me an 'E'." Whoops, left out a letter. ; Ray's comment, "Well, none of us has been in jail", being met by a lone voice that said, "I have".
And there are yet a few of us still working full-time.
The strong spirit of endurance and survival there today bespoke again the adage, "Old age is not for sissies."
Satchel
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| "Not off our rockers !" |
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