20 Years Since

Had a very nice trip to Michigan. The drive up was uneventful and we made pretty good time for a Friday afternoon. The traffic was about as heavy as I’ve ever seen it on that stretch of highway but we don’t usually leave at such an odd time of day.

We were welcomed by chilly air and the boys needed their quilts as they slept out in dad’s motor home which was parked up near the house. The next morning we drove down to Shipshewana and had breakfast at the Blue Gate with dad. We got back in time to rest just a little before heading to the reunion.

There were about 20 of my graduating class there. I graduated with 30 so that’s a pretty good percentage. There were a few I sort of expected to be missing and a few I was surprised at their absence. I did hear that some of them showed up to the bonfire later that night but I wasn’t there for that part of the event. Our reunion was a very casual, family friendly get together with BBQ pork and chicken going on the grill and a dish to pass laid out on the table. We were lakeside at a campground and the shade trees and low temperatures kept us quite comfortable all afternoon. Kris was good to me and kept the boys occupied almost the entire time while I visited with people.

I have missed this girl. My friend Corrina lives in Grand Rapids area (about two hours from my dad’s house) now so even when I go to Michigan we don’t usually get to see one another. Corrina is one of my only close friends from school that joined us in high school and didn’t grow up with us. She is one of the most delightful people you could ever meet. Her sweet disposition and adorable silliness makes her what I call a “comfortable” friend. I always feel at home with Corrina and we can go long absences without the loss of any connection. We always pick up quickly and run together in conversation without any glitches. We were both nearly in tears with our joy in seeing one another again.

Here’s the entire group. I could spend hours telling stories and introducing you, but I don’t think you want to hear it. Just know it was a lot like seeing family again. There were those I have less in common with and some I can’t relate to on any circumstantial level at all but we still hugged and talked and cared. There were many I was impressed with and silently cheered for as I saw their successes and watched them interact with more ease and confidence than I had ever seen in them before and those I was just plain proud of no matter what. Richie Ultz has 7 kids only two of them biologically his…and he’ll take more if they need him. Shannon, my dear “BFF” from high school was waltzing around with her camera and just as comfortable in our little rural crowd as she has been in her metropolitan city and her trips to Africa, Greece and Norway. Each person there I felt a kinship with and though I have less current interaction with many of them any more, there is a bond of history that keeps me attached to them like brothers and sisters. We have known each other at our best and worst…and we have held each other up and cheered each other on.

Two faculty members showed up. Coach Conklin and his wife Lynette. He was our gym teacher and softball coach, and is now the school superintendent and she was our math teacher in high school. They laughed with us and admitted to our little crowd that there really was something special about our group that seemed to be different than most other classes. We had a stronger sense of loyalty toward one another and a deeper sense of commitment in many areas. We had more fun together and built some great memories because of it. I enjoyed hearing that, but quickly added, “you probably say that at all the 20 year reunions!”

Please feel free to look at more pictures on my facebook page if you are remotely interested. Or try here or there seem to be quite a few of me here.

Speaking of pictures. I was amazed at all the old snapshots people brought. Yearbooks and albums were spread out on a table and things long forgotten were brought bubbling to the surface. What fun. I would love to show you some of my big hair pictures, and my shy little tiny me elementary pictures and the silly “I don’t care how I look” pictures from Jr. High. Kem, who has already put in hours and hours of work for this event, has promised to scan a lot of them in and share them but I won’t see them for a long time I’m sure. I couldn’t be more grateful for the hard work our little class committee put in to make this happen. Well done class of 90!