Hail the Class of '69

1969 was a landmark year – moon landing, angry Vietnam protests, drugs gone wild, Helter Skelter, Woodstock, and the graduation of about 400 kids, including yours truly, from Mt. Pleasant High School in Wilmington Delaware.
On October 10th we got back together for our 40th reunion. I figured four decades was a good time to catch up, and I’m glad I did.
By age 58, we’re past all the bravado. Some of my fellow Green Knights have retired in luxury, some are bankrupt, and it was hard to tell the difference over a few drinks. Most of the guys had added a few pounds, lost some hair, have trouble seeing and hearing, and struggle with the ol’ short-term memory. The women are fabulous, all even more bedazzling than they were in high school.
Only about 100 classmates made it, but many of us flew great distances (CA, TX, WI, AZ) to be together. A few of our classmates (maybe twenty) have died; most have lost one or both parents.
The lesson I would want my kids to hear is that high school is just the beginning of the journey. Looking back, kids that had success in high school – however you want to measure it - were often, but not always successful over the next forty years. And some classmates who barely got noticed in ’69 have gone on to great things. High school is a base, an important one, but there is plenty of time to recover if you make some bad choices or get off to a slow start.
Salutes to people at the reunion – to those who are taking good care of themselves, to those still happy in their marriages, to those who organized the event, to those on Facebook and to the spouses that endured the reunion (you have to really love someone to attend a reunion that isn’t yours).
The event was awkward, fantastic and surreal, all in one. Nothing like a reunion to ground you in your past. I hope to stay in touch with several new old friends. Go Green Knights!