On aging...expectations and what is important about coming together every five years.

Reunion thoughts….....Aging thoughts........OMG the class of 69 is turning 60 thoughts...did y’all know that? Thank goodness we aren’t 60…yet…….but I hope and pray that in 2 years I will be. I still have things I want to do.

We are all reminded of our days at CHS in a million different ways, and our lives have taken just a many roads with all the twists and turns, surprises and grief, trial and tribulations and disappointments and triumphs. Many of us came back to Columbus after living away for a while and many of us simply stayed. Just as many left and never returned except to visit. No matter what our “location station” geographically is now..we  all share that tiny slice of our past that existed during the years from 1967 to 1971 at Columbus High. We are now “of a certain age”. I have heard that phrase over and over from OLD PEOPLE.   However, I have now discovered…“of a certain age” is real, and with it our perspectives change as do our bodies, our minds (I remember nothing anymore…) our living conditions and what we are not able to do anymore. (I am referring to just getting started partying at 10PM  and then expecting to be able to jump up out of bed with only 4 hours of sleep and plow through the day ..ha!!!)  We start to think less about the regrets of the past and think  more of what we may regret that we "didn't get to do when we had the chance"....We are old---er, and quite frankly grateful for it. We have seen much, experienced more, remember some of it and even if it didn't really happen exactly like we retell the story…it doesn’t mean it isn’t the truth..

The old adage.."I just want to live happily ever after..every  now and then"...means something different now than it did even 5 years ago..

I have had the opportunity to hear from so many of “us”, and am aware that reunions mean many different things and bring with them all sorts of mixed emotions.  All dealing with expectations. The thing is…at this time in our lives...there are no expectations…except that I expect the Margarita machine to work and they taste good, that Burt doesn’t pass out in 100 degree weather over a grill cooking dinner for us on Friday,  Green Island’s air conditioning is working and that Sam’s  band can play enough Beach Music for us to get our “fix”….but mostly….that we will hug and grin and exclaim over and over simply because we have been granted the blessing of  a  chance to see one another again.

Come be a Blue Devil….one more time.