Thursday, July 25, 2019

Reunions

This week's topic is reunions. I chose it because Ramana is attending one this week and I will soon embark upon a 6 day train adventure to California to attend my high school class 70th birthday party. The attendees of our 50 year reunion 2 years ago had so much fun they elected to hold one more - and it is scheduled for 8/23 in Sacramento, CA..

Attendance looks to be 80 or more Mt. Eden High School (MEHS) class of 67 members. I have not been to a reunion since the 20th if memory serves. Many things have changed. Under normal circumstances I would not attend - simply because my real HS friends are still my friends. We scattered asunder to many different places but have managed to stay close over the years. And then along came Facebook and suddenly old acquaintances and friendships have been renewed.
 Here's a pic of the old alma mater - somehow I do not think it looks quite this nice today and I guarantee it looked better with all of the garbage cans on the roof and the hundreds of rolls of toilet paper weaved throughout the trees and bushed. And then there was the time someone (yeah yeah -my friends and I) toilet papered the band room and filled the teachers office with wadded up newspaper. That was serious stuff back in the day - LOL. The fact that we had keys to the entire school really irritated the principal and his cronies. And the basketball coach went ballistic when his house was papered. He thought he was special because he lived in the Hayward Hills with lawyers and Doctors. At one point in our senior year Mayfair Market refused to sell us toilet paper - so great was our legend and reputation LOL.

So now we gather one last time. Time to renew old acquaintances and friendships.  Perhaps rekindle an old flame or add fuel to budding new relationships. Share in each  others successes and failures. Share photos of kids, grand kids and great grand kids. Nerds who struck it rich can strut and compare bank accounts, brag about who has the biggest boat LOL. But mostly this will simply be a  chance to get up close and personal with old friends. compare life stories. and have one last big-ass party to celebrate what for many were four very important years.

I was primarily a jock in high school - a three sport guy - football, wrestling and baseball.  I actually graduated in the top 10% thanks to my pal Benny dragging me kicking and screaming through advanced Algebra. He went to Oregon State and then the Navy. He is one person I'd like to see again but  he is not anywhere to be found. 

On a particularly sobering note, the list of class members no longer with us is very extensive. I also found that to be true of my late  wife's class of 67 at Skyline in Oakland. Particularly hard for me was seeing her photo on their  deceased students wall. I felt like I lost her again.

In case you wonder what I looked like back in the day, that is my HS photo in the middle of the three images at the top of the screen. Razor cut hair and all.Probably wearing Jade East, Brut or some other sickly sweet  smelling cologne. Possibly even Hai Karate. 

Reunions are what you make of them. Go to them with a smile on your face and a positive attitude and I wager you will have a helluva lot of fun. I certainly plan on that - after I collect on the hugs Vicki Martinez and Lyn Schuller have  promised. Yeah - those will be fun too.

See ya next eek, same bat time and same bat channel. Be sure to check Ramanas Musings to see what he has to say.



6 comments:

  1. I hope you will be expecting a hug from me too because I plan on giving you one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are a brave man.

    The very thought of a reunion makes me laugh. In an affectionate way. Trouble is, I think many of us would be disappointed. The class clown most likely will turn out an accountant. Nothing wrong with accountants. And they can do with a laugh. I happened upon an old friend of mine (when I say old I mean we were friends a long time ago and then, for reasons not important this minute, we weren't friends any longer) via that infernal menace of the spy machine (internet) and there she was - her professional dream come true, and stout. She didn't return my call. It's ok. I suppose she still feels bad. Shame. I liked her. A lot. Regardless. As another friend of mine states: "Once a friend always a friend". Tell your other friends that ... Oh dear, Shackman, the world is an unforgiving one.

    Yes, thanks for allowing me that little outburst. If there is one person I'd love to meet on a class reunion it's my maths teacher. Alas, he is long dead. Well deserved.

    Enjoy,
    U

    ReplyDelete
  3. a train trip! a reunion! HUGS! it's so exciting Shack!
    I had no idea you were president and active member of the famous toilet paper gang. you should pick a spot in Hayward Hills and take an honorary roll with you just for old time's sake. :D XO

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope that you have as enjoyable a reunion as I had earlier this week. I look forward to hearing all about your adventures on your way to and from the reunion.

    ReplyDelete