Subject: Re: Class of 1959 50 year reunion
From: Jim Thomas (jthomas@math.niu.edu)
Date: Mon Jul 20 2009 - 00:02:59 CDT
Evan sums it up nicely. Perhaps others could share their impressions,
what surprised them, what touched them most, what they left with,
what they laughed at, who they laughed...oh, not this one.
There wasn't enough time to hear all the stories, share the memories,
or reflect on the last half-century. Not surprisingly, there seemed to
be more that binds us now through shared experiences, things to learn
from each other, and corny jokes and sad reflects.
I was most taken with the strength of some, many, of our classmates.
Many of us have dodged serious adversity. Others haven't. The losses of
loved ones, confronting life-threatening health issues in the past (and
even in as we spoke), the process of dealing with re-making ourselves
as we discover who or what we are, the difficulty of managing the
tension between feeling young while our bodies may not always agree.
While hearing some of the stories was heart-breaking, there seemed to
such energy and courage in how some have overcome trauma and pain. I
probably asked too many personal questions of a few of you, but hearing
your stories of survival and moving forward reminded me of the
importance of maintaining connections to our past as it re-kindles our
own energy in facing our future. What we shared with each other
Saturday allows us to bring that energy to others we touch in our lives.
In some ways, it wasn't just a commemoration of a date in 1959. It
was a rebirth for all of us in 2009, something we can continue sharing
as we continue our lives.
It would be nice to collect some of those stories, because they
are a powerful collective inspiration.
Jim
Ottawa Hills High School Discussion List - 1959
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