Back in 2020, some plans started to come to life for our 50th high school reunion that was to be held in 2021. I am not really enthusiastic about reunions. I am not a big fan of family reunions, because I feel like I have to impress my relatives. The same holds true with high school and college reunions. One thing that really scares me is not remembering people, because I don't want to be embarrassed.
I went to the 30th high school reunion on a dare. It was okay. The 50th seemed different. I was thinking about going, because I may never see these people again (except for Facebook), and many of them I had known since kindergarten. During the plans, they sent out a form as to what liquor you wanted there. I took offense at the question. I knew many of my friends drank, but I didn't. I have an alcohol problem. I didn't want that temptation. Some other people questioned the timing of the reunion because of Covid. So, the 50th reunion of the AC Flora class of 1971 was postponed.
The planners were insistent on having it at some point, so it was decided that we would have it in the Fall of 2022. It would be called the 50+1 reunion. It would be at the Forest Lake Country Club in Forest Acres and the cost would be $75 per person. I thought that the price was a little too much for me, and I was having second thoughts about going. Out of the blue, a friend from those days contacted me and said he would pay for me to go. He wasn't going to be able to go, because he lived far away, but he wanted me to go as a birthday present to me from him. Gratefulness doesn't begin to describe how I felt about this huge gesture.
They said that there wouldn't be any substantial food and suggested we eat before we went. I looked at restaurants nearby, but most were too expensive. One looked good, but they said their dining room wasn't open. You would have to eat outside, so I ate downtown before taking the bus out there. When I got to that restaurant, I found that the dining room was open. Thanks for nothing. I also looked on a map to see how far the country club was from the nearest bus stop. It didn't seem too far. It was. On my walk there, many Lexus cars passed me. It was hot, and I was sweating a lot. By the time I got to the club, I was very wet. I went into a restroom at the club to dry off. They had the best paper napkins I had ever seen. Very plush. I stole five of them.
We had over 500 people in our graduating class. A little over 100 of them have died or moved very far away. They said we had around 250 show up. There was an area of drinking in the ballroom, and they had tables for those of us who would rather not mingle. I hooked up with my old friend Tommy and his wife along with another friend named Dixie and her husband. We had a table. As it turned out, they did have food at the event. Chicken wings and hors d'oveurs. I had several people who came up to me to say they were glad I was there. One of my oldest friends there named Hank told his wife about how we were related. I had never put that together before, even though I had known him since we were 5.
I had planned to leave the reunion after they took our group picture, but I was enjoying it too much. One of my classmates had said she wanted to talk with me. She pulled me aside and told me how proud she was of me being sober. She told me about her experiences in getting sober. I was touched. Another classmate told me how glad she was that I had come. I told her that I felt some classmates might be surprised that I was still alive. She sort of stepped back from me and then hugged me. My life has not been a bed of roses, and I think some were surprised I was there.
Tommy said he would take me home, as my plan was to get an Uber. One wish that I had about the evening was that each person would have thirty seconds to a minute to get in front of the group and tell what they did or had done in their lives. We have some people who are well-known in the community, but others are not. It would have been nice for folks to brag about themselves. Maybe at the next reunion. I think they are planning a 55th in 2026. Hopefully, most of us will still be around. And, maybe I'll go to that one. I'm kind of looking forward to my college reunion next. I'll have to rent a car.
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