ECG Reunion: The Main Event

It is utterly confounding how we ever got from there (below) to here... middle age? You've got to be fucking kidding. But the good news: Most of us who graduated from high school in 1980 indeed have the great fortune to look back, relish a shared time and place, and relive for a moment, all in the same room.

My high school reunion has been planned for several months now and it took about 10 seconds for me to decide, I'm in, especially after having a swell time at both the 10- and 20-year reunions. And with the added comfort of Donna Mae Moose by my side, what's to fear?

Naturally enough, each decade seems to foster attrition; my guesstimate for Saturday evening's big event: around 100 graduates, plus scattered spouses. Pretty damn good, though I missed the presence of some focal friends: Carlton, of course, and pals Mary and Jimbo. In any case, there were plenty of hugs, real conversations and meaningful reconnects to make it more than worthwhile.

Let the reunion begin!When Mae Moose picked me up at the parents house, I felt like I shoulda been pinning a corsage on her bosom, for god's sake.We met Tammy at Lynchburg's swanky (an oxymoron?) City View, 20 floors up in a downtown bank building. My god, there are actually beautiful 20-somethings in this town now. We realized that twixt the three of us, we represent the surviving officers of the 1979-1980 David Garrick Players. I was president of the Drama Club, Carlton VP, Donna secretary and Tammy treasurer. Fortunately, there was no outstanding business to be conducted. It's been 30 years since either Mae or I have seen Tammy; the years melted away.God bless Lou! One of my fave connects of the weekend. A wild woman; my kinda gal. We've been Facebooking like fools for weeks.
And my nursery school sweetheart Susan, a doll then, a sweetheart now. One day she's going to find that promised picture of us at age 4!Chris and Joanne... great conversations with both.Melaney—who was part of our "gang" back then, with Susan.Take two with Mae & Melaney.Andrea and I must have had a half-dozen classes together throughout high school; a very dear friend.Love those group shots! "Chins down, drinks down!"I never moved; but the group around me revolved...My other "date" for the evening: dreamy Jim. We had a blast Friday evening, a bigger blast Saturday. I think I love him.The "official" date night pictures. Lucky meese.Mae with Melaney and meese and longtime friend Cathy. Why did we nickname her "Scag" back in the day? And she answered to the name. Mercy!Nice... I mistakenly called Kathy Elizabeth Friday night, before we had name tags. Ironically, Kathy looks exactly as she did 30 years ago: It's those smiling eyes.Evidence that we wear the 40s damn well: Susan, Carol, Blair and Lou.Evidence that perhaps the 40s is the time to stop dancing?Geoff, one of the evening's organizers, and meese connected more in two nights than I think we did in four years of high school. With everyone's fave, Tilawanda.And then some! (Click to enlarge)
The gang's all here!After the main event wound down, many gathered at a suite just down the street for the after-party. Group shot!And finally, at 2 a.m., where else to end the mayhem but the Texas Inn for a Western—a fatty burger with an egg plopped on top. That's one way to relive the night... again & again.Home at 3 a.m. Eight hours of good clean fun. I think I could do this every year. A stellar event that I continue to relive moment by moment again and again.