The Class Reunion

The 30-year high school class reunion kicked off at 6:00 pm. Middle-aged classmates, many with receding hairlines, graying hair, etched lines, and heavier frames, brought their spouses and dates — though some came alone. They hugged, shook hands, patted backs, and engaged in lively talk and joyful laughter, catching up on all that had happened since the last reunion a decade before. 

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks of sparkling cider, wine, beer, and cocktails started the evening on a festive note, the clinking glass blending with the hum of voices and familiar songs from long ago. The aroma of caramelized peppers and onions, freshly baked bread, and grilled chicken and steak filled the air, the tantalizing promise of dinner soon to come. The D.J. played the hits of their era that caused many to smile and sway to the beat. 

The warmth of the room, the buzz of conversation, and the gentle thrum of music bound the classmates together into a universe all their own. They laughed, and joked, and shared memories of yesterday, happenings of today, and hopes for tomorrow — each conversation weaving the threads of time into the fabric of life.

Standing alone to the side, Jane watched her classmates mingle as a pang of nostalgia tightened in her chest. She wondered how everyone had grown old so quickly. She could scarcely believe three decades had passed, and they were well into middle-age already. She saw her best friend Sherry arrive at a table, and she walked over to join her and her date. 

A few feet away, Lisa spied Mark in a group, horsing around just like he used to do ‌in school. She remembered their last high school dance and wondered if he felt the same spark of attraction that she did after all these years. He was widowed now, after his wife Kari lost her battle with cancer, and Lisa was divorced. Perhaps tonight was the night to reconnect and see where it might go. She walked over to Mark and said hi; he smiled, excused himself from the group, and they walked off together to talk.  

Harry reminisced with classmates about various shenanigans they pulled, like the time in Mr. Smythe’s chemistry class when one of their experiments exploded and started a fire that nearly burned down the classroom. They could laugh heartily now, but it wasn’t so funny when it happened then because they were all suspended for a week, and almost failed the class. 

A dozen people gathered around Kylo as he recounted his harrowing climb up Mount Everest. Marla listened from a few feet away, and she snickered as his enthralled listeners oohed, aahed, and gasped at his exploits. She knew Kylo had never made it above the base camp ten thousand feet below the summit, but she would not be the one to spoil his story tonight. Everyone deserves a moment in the spotlight, even a class nerd like Kylo. 

Soon, dinner was served—the best dinner of any reunion by far, some said—followed by a slideshow, speeches, singing their alma mater, and dancing to the beloved music of their youth. Hours ticked by with scarcely a notice as they partied like they were teenagers. 

For one night, they escaped the ruthless banality of their lives as they relived those halcyon days of school when they were young, and filled with ideals, hopes, and dreams for an endless life ahead. 

By 11:00 pm, it was over. How did it go so fast? Many had already gone; bedtimes come earlier these days. The classmates who remained gave last hugs, handshakes, and promises to “get together soon.” They reluctantly gathered their coats and personal items to head back home to families, jobs, and responsibilities. As they parted ways, they wondered how many more reunions there would be before time took its toll.

Another year passed. Another decade gone. Another reunion concluded. Too soon there would be another — perhaps the very last. How fast time flies, how quickly life fades into a slow burn of obscurity, an inescapable human fate, echoing across generations. 

Millennia ago, a wise man summed it up with words eternally true: 

“One generation passes away, and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever.” (Ecclesiastes 1:4)