50th High School Reunion

I did go to the reunion. My son drove me up and my granddaughter went with me to the dinner. I enjoyed seeing friends I had not seen in 45 to 50 years. One of those friends was a neighbor and he was like a brother to me. While his mother and my mother were alive I got to hear about him but lost contact after their deaths. I found out he was doing well and was living in Texas. We didn't talk long because he was using his time making contact with as many friends as he could. I made the mistake of sitting down too soon but did make contact with those who were roaming. Those who did like I did and sat down but were on the other side of the room I missed. I did get a chance to see more friends as we lined up for the class picture. That was a major job for the photographer, because we talked and moved about as he tried to get us all in. There was good attendance. We lost 20 members do to death.

The important thing to have arranged for is pictures of members as they were in the year book and name tags. Some times the name would not be remembered but the old picture would restore the memory. Our old pictures were put on individual key chains. I was sitting across the table from a man I could not remember. He shared that he met his wife who was sitting beside him in Canada. She was from Australia but was hiking up to Alaska. She fell over a cliff and he was going by saw her fall and aided her bringing her to the hospital, meeting her and falling in love. Then he shared how shy he was in school and how he had a crush on the lady sitting at the end of our table because she would smile and talk to him. We then took out out old pictures and he was a person I had a crush on. How funny.

We had a short program, names were drawn for hand painted plaques of landmarks of Escanaba. I did not get my name drawn.

My son granddaughter and I toured by car Escanaba. First we went to the home I grew up in. The street seemed so narrow and the yard so much smaller than I remember it. Then we drove down Main Street past the Ludington Hotel to the park. We drove out to the beach and came back driving on a one way street going the wrong way. We were looking at the park not reading the signs. Then we drove by the home of my biological parents where I spent the first four years of my life. There were major changes making the home look great. Then we drove out to the Garden's of Rest cemetery to see my parents graves. My son went out while we were at the reunion and he couldn't find them. I told him I knew where they were. I didn't so we walked the whole place, not finding them. Memory is a strange thing. The markers are flat making seeing the names difficult unless you get out and walk. After an hour we gave up.

I am glad I made the trip.