A reunion to remember

I had waited nearly half a lifetime, and now I was down to the last hour. The pins and needles in my stomach continued to remind me that I was not only nervous and anxious but equally excited.

Just a few days earlier, I had flown back to my hometown in northeastern Ohio so I could attend my 30th high school class reunion. It would be the first time I would see most of those individuals since we graduated.

Years prior, I was fortunate enough to get home in time to attend our 10-year class reunion. Sadly, I wasn't able to make it to one at the 20-year mark and didn't find out about the 25-year reunion until it was too late.

I paced back and forth and fidgeted as I waited for the minutes to go by. Annoyed at myself for looking at the clock once again, I decided to head out, knowing I was going to be there really early.

During the short drive, a number of questions nagged me once again. Will I recognize anyone? Will anyone even remember me? Then there was the bigger question: Why am I going?

It was that last question that had me stumped. Maybe I was simply curious, but I got the feeling the answer was something much bigger and far more important.

The reunion included three key events. The first was an informal reception at a local county club. While I knew I was in the right place at the right time, the place was a lot bigger than I expected, and the specific gathering place wasn't clearly marked.

Looking around for any clues, I spotted someone hanging up a bouquet of white and blue balloons -- the colors of my alma matter. Taking a shot in the dark, I got her attention.

It was my friend, Debbie, who I hadn't seen in at least 20 years. She gave me a hug before introducing me to the other early birds. Guess I wasn't the only one eager to be there.

One of the first things I quickly learned is how much my high school friends had changed over the years. But there were a few I recognized right off the bat.

However, I have to credit the fact I checked Facebook before the reunion. Call it cheating, but it was a lot easier to place a name to a face if I had a chance to see current photos of these individuals. This took out a lot of the guess work.

Fortunately for me, many of my classmates readily knew who I was. I wasn't so fortunate. More than once, I said "hello" to someone, only to look at them and sheepishly ask them for a little help placing the name.

With the introductions out of the way, most of us sat and talked. Every few minutes, we'd spot someone new show up at our gathering. If they didn't look familiar, a few of us would do a little detective work in hopes of connecting a name to the face.

I suppose none of us wanted to commit a faux paus by asking the really awkward question -- "Uh, who are you?"

We had a great turnout that evening. While I didn't take an actual head count, I figure we had 30 to 40 classmates show up, which didn't include their spouses. That's not bad considering our graduating class had more than 250 students.

The formal dinner the following evening was the pinnacle of our reunion. I figure we had at least twice as many people show up, many of whom I immediately recognized.

As I gave each of them a hug as we said hello, it seemed as if a bridge was built to help span the past 30 years of our lives.

When I wasn't talking to someone, I simply stood back and took in the experience -- to see who was who, which classmates had changed the most and those who hadn't aged a day.

Walking around the banquet room, I also took note of the dozens of conversations happening all at once. Many were talking about their children with a few discussing news about their grandchildren. A few others reflected on what they did in high school, some of which would've gotten them into a lot of trouble if they had ever been caught.

Those I talked to couldn't believe I had already retired from the Air Force. Many of them were simply curious about my career and the countries and places I visited over the past 25 years of my life. I did my best to hit all the high points.

At the same time, I avoided being melodramatic about the whole experience. Deep down, however, I knew there was a good chance I would not see some of these people ever again.

To date, my graduating class had already lost four students, but those were ones we knew about. The most recent one died in a car crash less than two months before our reunion.

Perhaps this was the answer to my earlier question: Why did I go?

To me, the reunion was very personal. I wanted to make sure that I had a chance to say everything that needed to be said. For those I didn't get along with in high school, it was a chance to mend bridges and hopefully make things right.

But there was something even more important.

Before I left for Ohio, I knew one of my classmates was dealing with some severe medical issues and her condition was worsening.

I was told we would have maybe one chance to meet her sometime that weekend.

Her name is Lisa. In high school, I knew her as a petit, young woman with a broad smile and outgoing personality. From my perspective, she was someone you could relate to, regardless if you were a football player, cheerleader, theater major, a member of the band or, like me, the non-conformist.

During the reunion, I learned that Lisa was stricken by a series of medical problems, all of which had robbed her of the ability to live independently.

Despite all these overwhelming challenges, she was able to still be a part of our reunion but only for a very brief time.

We weren't sure how much time she had left.

Lisa and I had a chance to sit together and simply talk one on one. I remember telling her how much I cherished our friendship. Other times, I just sat there and listened to everything she had to say.

Tears welled in my eyes as I gave her one final hug before I left that day. She then kissed me on the cheek as we said our goodbyes.

I hope we have a chance to talk again some day.