Closure

18/09/24 21:12
IMG_1011September 18, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 41) - I went to my high school reunion this past weekend, the first one I have attended since my graduation in 1970. It is not as if I didn’t want to attend earlier reunions. It was simply a case of living half a country away, being unaware of the reunions and/or having scheduling conflicts. I didn’t know what to expect - I hadn’t seen most of these people in half-a-century. The lasting image I had of my former classmates was of them as high school seniors. Remember when you were a high school senior? If you do, you probably remember those you liked, those you disliked, those who were friendly and those who were unfriendly. I hear it is not unusual for people to carry high school scars - real and imagined - for the rest of their lives. So, as I walked through the doors of the VFW Hall in Easton, Maryland, last Saturday night, I had some trepidation. However, those fears were quickly eased. As it turned out, these people were no longer the high school kids I remembered. They had a lifetime of living behind them. These silver-haired folks had matured into friendly, outgoing people who had either forgotten or forgiven all of the traumas associated with high school. I even had an opportunity to talk to a woman who, 54 years ago, was the center of my universe until she no longer was. Neither of us held any bitterness and we both reconnected at the level that had made us friends in the first place. The most touching part of the night was looking a board that displayed the names of my fellow classmates who are no longer with us. I was aware of the passing of some, but surprised and saddened to see the others. After three hours of reminiscing, it was time to go. The VFW wanted their hall back. After we said our goodbyes and scattered into the Eastern Shore night, I was left with a feeling of closure. All of the high school wounds and traumas no longer mattered. After all, I realized that we all had two things in common: We were all proud Easton Warriors and we were all survivors. And that’s not a bad lifetime. That’s it for now. Fear the Turtle.