High school reunion

I am sounding like a broken record but, again, sorry for the lack of contact. Real life has a way of getting in the way of my writing life. One recent event was my husband's high school reunion. When such events are organized there are a variety of reactions. Many folks have no desire to see anyone from that period of their lives. Others, such as the organizing committee at St. Pete's in Peterborough, work for a year because it is so important to them. I was so impressed with their effort  that I sent them this letter.

1965  A group of grade nines

Thanks for the Memories

I didn’t attend St. Peters High School. However, on Friday, October 11^th, there I was, along with about a thousand other people, crowding into the current building on Medical Drive as St. Pete’s celebrated its 100^th anniversary. I was there with my husband, Patrick and my mother in law, Rita. Pat attended St Pete’s from 1965 to 1970.

When we arrived from Ottawa on Friday afternoon, Rita expressed misgivings about attending the event. At eighty-eight, she didn’t think she would know many there. We convinced her to come along and it took her all of three seconds to meet someone she knew. I turned around and there she was, hugging an old friend. The entire evening went that way. It was virtually impossible to go more than five feet in the main foyer without her meeting yet another relative, friend or neighbour. Although I did not attend St Pete's, it gave me great pleasure to simply witness her and Pat’s enjoyment of the entire evening. When we told Rita that there was a pub at St. Anne’s parish hall, starting at ten pm, she needed no convincing, so off we went for more socializing.

The sentiment expressed over and over again that weekend was that this reunion at St Peters was simply a wonderful opportunity to visit with people that you might not have seen for a long time and may never see again. While we were in the sixties room, taking in the displays and listening to the great singing, someone looked around at the crowd and remarked that in twenty-five years, most of the people in that room would be dead. Sad but true; life is fleeting. Why not take any chance we have to visit at a celebration, rather than at a funeral home?

I never expected to see anyone from my past at St Pete's. After all, I grew up in Ottawa. What a happy surprise to see Jim and Sharon O. there! Although Pat originally knew them from Peterborough, I remember them as the wonderful couple who befriended us when we lived in Exeter, Ontario in the 70’s.

So, to the organizers who worked for a year to put together this reunion weekend, thank you. The level of organization was very impressive. The parking lot attendants, the current high school student volunteers, the welcoming area, the refreshments, the outstanding displays in the foyer and decade rooms...these all contributed to our enjoyment. Of course the two-sided name tags, complete with graduation dates, were very handy as folks with faulty memories looked first at the face before glancing down to the name tag for confirmation. There were athletic events on Saturday afternoon, a mass in the morning and a dance to finish it all off. I can’t imagine how many hours of work went into such a massive celebration.

The success of such an event can be measured in many ways: by the number of people who had pre-registered by Friday night, by the number of walk in registrations at the door, or by the number of people who attended the various events. In my view the success of the St Pete’s reunion is best measured by the smiles of recognition, the heartfelt hugs, and the long conversations as people reminisced. Perhaps Rita said it best when she pronounced it one of the best events ever held in Peterborough. I’ll always remember the end of the dance and the three of us dancing together, while singing along enthusiastically to  “Wasn’t that a party?!”  Thank you to the organizing committee for the happiness and new memories that you created for so many people.

"A white sports coat, and a pink carnation"  One of the many displays at the reunion!