Our 35th Class Reunion

It was a wonderful weekend. Too many memories come to mind to list or even try to recapture in words. Maybe that is why we are organizing a Music Fest next summer in Ridgewood. It will be different and decidedly not a traditional class reunion but it will allow for people to gather and swap stories, and tall tales if they are so inclined.

I may not be able to sum up our reunion in a blog post but I do have the speech I was given the opportunity to present to our class on Saturday night. One is offered so few chances later in life to speak to the people who knew you when you were young, that I choose to give it some thought and also read what others had done and posted on the Internet. So it is not entirely original though I gave it my own twist. Unfortunately, I have lost the footnotes that would have gone with it. Here it is as I posted it to FaceBook. I repost it because I realize that a blog is a bit more permanent than a social networking site might ever be, and that by using a blog a wider number of people might feel included, ever so slightly, in what turned out to be a reunion to remember.

I want to begin by saying the group of people who organized this Reunion Weekend stood on the shoulders of giants. These shoulders were those friends of ours who organized our previous reunions, like Cindy Neidig, Chris DuFlocq, Peter Branigan, and Bill Nolan. No doubt I have missed a few names, but you know whom you are and that we are all grateful for your efforts.

This year’s reunion was organized and planned by what I have dubbed the “Cloud Crew”. We assembled online via FaceBook and worked virtually. I wasn’t sure a Reunion could be organized in such a manner but since I had never worked on a Reunion before I didn’t dwell on this fact too often.

The Cloud Crew is Cesca, Becky Deetz, Lois Pinta, Laura Fleming, and Joanne Hunter.

I want to mention that this Reunion would never have happened without the financial and moral support of a great many individuals.

Our Individual Patrons:
Francesca Cavallaro Wall
John Dyon
Megan Carmen
Jim Velordi
Chet Douglas
Karl Olsen
Tony Bazzini and Bill D'Amico
Jane Ramsdell
Frank O'Connor
Cindy Neidig
Susan Raymond
Jeff Roberson
Dave Rorty
Debbie White
Lois Pinta
Laura Fleming
Joanne Hunter
Becky Deetz
Hank Bordowitz
Tressa Senger
Kathy Carley

Our Business Patrons:
Schweinfurth Florists
Keiser Associates
Tarvin Realtors
Ridgewood Movers
Advice 5 Cents Bed + Breakfast
What's Your Bag

I have racked my brain on what I wanted to say to you all. A few ideas came to mind like:

1. What do I now know that I wish I had known 35 years ago?
2. What do I now know that I wish I had known last week?
3. What do I now know that I wish I had known before last night’s debut of the RHS Alumni All-Star Band?

Though none of that seems so important now. Instead, I would like to offer an observation or two regarding our futures.

Something that struck me through this process, particularly as people shared reasons for NOT coming, was how difficult a night like this can be for people and if we are to be honest, that High School was not often an easy or pleasant experience for some. As we shared stories on FaceBook preparing for this event there were moments of honesty and regret. Perhaps tonight may offer opportunities for confession and acknowledgment that people Can and sometimes Do change. Perhaps it even offers us a shot at Redemption?!

If nothing quite so lofty, tonight at very least affords each of us a moment for some reflection. As life progresses the amount of people who have known you for a long time or have known you at Key Moments of your life is obviously less. This makes tonight valuable, perhaps in ways you haven’t realized. Please don’t take it for granted. There will be lots of laughs, but I encourage you to also value what it is we share and the possibilities this occasion holds for our futures.

Finally, Don’t worry too much about how you look. They say everyone is beautiful at 53!

I’ll leave you with the words of Mark Twain, someone we all read in school but might not have read lately:

“"Life is short, break the rules. Forgive quickly, kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that makes you smile."

I want to thank you all for coming to our 35th Reunion Weekend. We are really proud of it, and everyone worked very hard to make it a success.