High School Reunion

My high school reunion is coming up.  Dare I say of how many years?  Okay, it's 40.  Wow (minus the exclamation point, due to the intonation being that of a groan rather than excitement).  Am I really that old?  Not a day goes by that I'm not reminded of something or someone from my school days, so it's hard getting a handle on the fact that those memories are of so long ago.  It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "feels like yesterday".  

While I'm not thrilled about how quickly time has passed, I am looking forward to celebrating the past.  Old friends from that era of my life helped shape me into what I am today, and it will be good to see them.  As I picture their faces in my mind, I've noticed that recollecting their names is far easier than doing so with people of my present life.  Is that why those with dementia often talk to someone as though they are back in time?  As the ability to find space on our aging brains for new memories decreases, we need the security we derive from being sure of something.  There's comfort in that.  Losing memory is like losing touch with friends, thus, making reunions all the more special.  For myself, this reunion will be particularly refreshing as I travel back to the days when my parents took care of me, instead of the other way around.  Don't get me wrong, others have it a lot worse than I do.  I've just begun that journey, and my parents are still reasonably active.  If they're happy, I'm happy.  I love them.  That's what makes it so hard.

As usual, this post took on a life of its own, with a direction different from what I originally intended.  What I wanted to say is that maybe you have a high school reunion coming up.  Don't be too busy.  Go to it.

This is the second picture of my series of green glass called, "Sundown".  It has nothing to do with memories or reunions, but it is part of a group and, as such, goes well with the story.