September 26, 2008

Class Reunion II

Posted in Fun, Life, Personal, story, travel tagged California, class reunion, Dress Barn, high school reunion, OC, Orange County, pedicure, pictures, survival, Unique Nails at 4:29 pm by pdxfirefly

I attended my class reunion last weekend in beautiful warm sunny Southern California.  The venue was on the waters of the blue Pacific Ocean in the perfect sized room.   Room size has a lot to do with the success of events because it sets the tone for the “feel” of the event.  You want it to feel cozy, but not cramped and this room fit the bill, perfectly!  Good job, Sandy & Linda!   Even the dinner was tasty!  Here is a virtual “toast of thanks” to the reunion team for all the hard work that went into the evenings enjoyment. 

All I had to do was to find a dress, list for a flight, book a hotel, find a nail shop (mani & pedi), hail a taxi (decided to not rent a car for 24 hrs in OC), show up and have fun!  Thanks again!

As I indicated in an earlier post, there was to be a small turn out —30 from our class of 200.  A current school administrator came, took attendance (!), took photos, and read a memorial list of those that have passed on before us — except she read the list from the class ahead of us!!  That’s OK, most of us know those who we wanted to remember from our class.  Still it was a moving moment as we knew those people also… it just would have been really nice if she had the correct class list!

Voices were sometimes the initial give away as to identities;   then as we looked for a few seconds …the youthfulness of high school was still inside this now again familiar personality.  Hugs, Smiles, and  Generosity of Spirit was the name of the game for most attendees  … this adding so much to the enjoyment of the evening as people spoke kindly sharing remembrances and catching up with each others lives.

Posing for pictures was a big part of the evening and no one minded waiting, smiles frozen in time, for the photographer (whomever it might be) to get just the right angle and to finally snap the frame for posterity!  “Wait, one more!”  Then, “Use my camera for one, please!”  Oops, “There’s another camera on the table… take one with that one.”  “Hey, you need to get in this picture, too!”  “Get over here!” “Would you please take a picture of just the three of us?  We were the Three Amigos in H.S.”  “OK, All the girls in black dresses…get in this one!”  ”Here, you get over there and I’ll get a picture of the group.”  “Everyone!  Look this way!”  “Now …say the Principal’s name!!!”  “Wait, take another one, I think my eyes were closed that time!”  ”Hm-m-m how does this camera work?” 

If you read my prior posts about my upcoming reunion, you may be interested to know that I did find a new dress to wear.   Since I had not bought a dress since my Mother passed several years ago, I was not looking forward to the task.  I really do not like to shop.  But the women at my favorite store were extremely helpful and I walked out of The Dress Barn at 9:30pm the night before my early morning flight to OC with what I felt was the perfect dress.  It was the style I had in mind when I first received the reunion invitation but people there were attired in all styles.  We wore uniforms in HS and I actually thought about showing up in uniform, but I couldn’t get it together for the event.   Besides, my new dress was very pretty and much more fun to wear, especially when several of my former classmates insisted that I do a Julie Andrews interpretation.

At one point during all the picture taking, I realized that I was always in the back row and I am not particularly tall, but I was taller than most of the women there for some reason.  When we commented on it, everyone looked down at their shoes at the same time and said “Well, we have flat shoes on and you have on heels.” Of course, I was taller!  Secretly, I was glad that everyone looked at my feet — Earlier that day, I had had the most unbelievable pedicure that I have ever had.  I wish I lived close enough to indulge in that beauty treatment more often at Unique Nails on Michelson near John Wayne Airport.  One girl had gone hiking up a mountain earlier that day –she is the one who remembers everything and has travelled to Mongolia, Tibet, India..you get the picture.   I have travelled quite a little bit, too, but that day I didn’t climb any mountain (not til I sang); instead I got a manicure, my fabulous pedicure by Van, and took a nap.  I’m high maintenance, remember?!  Well, I did visit with my brother and take a walk, too.

What was the one thing that I took away from this reunion that out shone all the rest?

It is the fact of Survival.

We are not that old, yet as I was reviewing the events of the evening, I was struck by the number of survivors that were there.  Men who had survived wars.  Women who survived breast cancer.  Others there, fighting their cancer now.  One man had a liver transplant years ago (yes, we saw his scar! and it was a big one!).  Another had had a debilitating stroke, but walked into the party with a limp ever so slight, (hardly noticed by anyone except yours truly), his sweet wife by his side now as she had been during the three weeks (or was it six?) he lay in a coma and the painful recovery.  And then there are the untold stories of pain experienced by each of us as we travel through our lives.   The joy as we talk about our families.   The juvenile glee as we recall stories.   Whispered comments to protect others feelings -something not done in HS.  Generosity of Spirit, maturity and thoughtfulness were fully apparent throughout the evening.

We all went home with the sense that we had such a good time together.  It was a fun memory and worth the effort of travel!

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