Nothing is Perfect

by Jim Grenier

I know there are classmates who purposely avoid these class reunions. I know certain specific reasons and guess at others.

Some classmates simply have few if any bonds with the class. Maybe you left NHS before their junior or senior year and feel maybe you have been forgotten. Maybe you moved to another school, or joined the military, left to care for a parent, or perhaps to start a new family. Our reunions are NOT about who graduated, but who we want to remember. I think that is you.

Or maybe your years at high school provoke bad memories of who you were back then, or how you were treated. Heaven knows high schoolers can be pretty mean or callous. Heck, no one’s brain, hormones, or emotions are mature at that age (unless you were held back four grades!) I hope that you might take a second look at those years and recognize that we were all immature and finding our way through the many rapid changes in our bodies and our society. If you come to this reunion you will be welcomed and treated well.

There are a few who truly want to avoid the drama that might have occurred during or after high school. Maybe it is an old flame that flickered out. Or one you might be afraid to remember. I can understand that. It will be difficult for me to be seen without my Lyn by my side, but I’m still able to be seen and heard and mix with everyone I want to mix with.

Maybe the problem is you don’t want to be around an old boyfriend or girlfriend, or some other people who you wish to avoid; feeling awkward or threatened. Well, none of us are the same as we were back in the day. Most of us have weathered enough storms and tragedy to have learned to bend with adversity. A long life has a way of changing us all. If you haven’t grown past your high school anxiety, perhaps a dose of gentle camaraderie might help. A hug and a smile can do wonders.

One of the criteria the Reunion Committee considered when selecting the Ould Newbury Golf Club was its flexibility of space. There will be indoor and outdoor (weather permitting) spaces with no specific seating. We want you to both mingle with and purposely avoid the classmates in your past.

I can’t guarantee the day will be perfect, but it will be welcoming, and respectful. The food will be great. And many other people there will be wanting to see you and talk with you.