40 Years Later

     High school reunions can be exciting or excruciating, depending on your memories of school.  I am proud to be a Panther of the Modesto High School Class of 1973.  My class celebrated our 40^th reunion last night.  Although I could not attend, I was still excited about the event.  As I recalled friends from school, I Goggled some names.   

     MHS is located in a typical small town, not somewhere legendary like Hollywood.  Despite the non-celebrity locale, my classmates are special.  We followed various career paths as business owners and entrepreneurs, bankers, farmers, nurses, doctors, teachers, attorneys and even a judge.  Many enlisted for a hitch or two in the military and some served until retirement.  A few names achieved fame as artists and authors, but most of us are famous only to our families and friends. 

     As the years passed, we realized how much we are alike rather than different. We raised families, paid taxes, worried about the future and now cherish the memories of when we were young and idealistic. To have the vitality of teenagers combined with mature wisdom may be wonderful, but an opportunity to gather and reminisce about our youth is almost as good.  I was not there, but thanks to the web, I can see photos of the many smiling faces that mingled and asked the popular question, “Do you remember …?”