Reflections on a 40-year high school reunion

I guess it was only coincidence that my 40-year high school reunion was August 11, 2007, precisely one year after my mother died.

I decided to do the reunion about six months ago because the timing was right: I had a few good friends were going and I could stop by the nearby White Chapel Cemetery and pay my respects to my mom and dad. It would be my first trip to Michigan without living parents to visit.

I have a few memories from high school. The ones I recall most vividly are from activities illegal, irresponsible, or reckless. I had a good time but I’m lucky that what I did didn’t kill me or put me on probation. By my senior year the school-day routine had become a drag; I had Friday on my mind 24/7. On graduation day I said “good riddance” to high school and forgot about the place for the next 40 years.

But what I didn’t know was that part of my high school experience stayed with me all those years like some kind of latent parasite just waiting for the right moment to hatch. That happened when I put on my name badge with my mock-serious 1967 senior photo and looked out at the 70 other alumni (and 30 spouses) at the reunion – about 15 percent of our graduating class.

It was like a costume ball, with the costumes exquisitely crafted by Father Time. I was talking to people I never thought I’d see again and having a good time too. It was fun finding out who all these folks were who seemed like strangers to me, but weren’t. I talked to them for more than four hours, almost nonstop. It was just conversation, certainly not about shared memories or good times.

What was it about that high school ‘experience’ that stayed with me for 40 years? I don’t know. It seems like a dream to me now. Maybe it was.

And, if you were wondering: Wylie E. Groves High School, Class of ‘67. I was one of about 450 graduating seniors.