05/10/2024
It was my 50 year school reunion this evening. The evening was well-attended, and everyone was glad of the name tags this year. It's amazing how, once you know the name, you can finally place the face - even though the hair may be a different colour (or missing), and the faces may have a few more wrinkles now.
I have found it interesting to reflect on our school reunions as I drove the 2 hours home. For our first 10 year reunion, everyone was much more about the 'show' - looking back it was quite superficial, being much more focused on looks and achievements in work and family.
The 30 year reunion saw people starting to open up more and be more curious about others. The 40 year reunion, which seems like yesterday, was about getting to know more people - we were a large year of approx 120 students.
This year there were genuine deep connections and care. These are the people who knew us when we were young: and it was fascinating to observe who remembered what about each other. "Oh, you were so talented at art!" "You were great at English!" "You always had that cheeky glint in your eyes in Art Class". "I remember you being so kind". "You were so amazing at sport."
We are also at that age where health issues were not uncommon. And it was wonderful to see the small clusters of people still supporting each other on a regular basis.
For anyone unsure about attending their school reunion(s) - go with an open heart and be curious. You may have the opportunity to resolve some of those old school yard wounds. And it's marvellous to find those who remember us when we were younger