It’s hard to believe it’s been almost two years since I’ve written a post. I recall saying that if I didn’t have anything good to say that I would not write. Well, I guess I haven’t had anything good to say in two years. HA!

That changed this past weekend. I attended the Baldwin County High School 40th class reunion (class of 1983 if you are doing the math). It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years. I have not been a frequent participant in our reunions. In fact, I think this is only the second one I’ve attended in 40 years.

And to be quite frank, I attended this reunion reluctantly. I never considered myself as part of the “in” crowd in high school. I had a few very close friends and we basically went to school, played tennis, and went to church. I attended the big dances because my mother wanted a picture. Seriously…

However, I knew much work had been put into this reunion (as had been the case for the others too, I’m sure). I had the time. So, my wife Martha and I drove the three hours from Montevallo down to Live Oak Landing in Stockton for the reunion. It was a good decision.

I recognized some classmates by appearance. With others I had to apologize while I looked at the name tag. But recognition came to me as I scrolled back the years and remembered…

The reunion was a delightful event. It appeared that everyone was genuinely excited to see everyone else. It appeared that everyone genuinely wanted to know how others were doing. And the food was great (that always helps).

It’s really interesting the effect that 40 years will have on a group. When we were 18, we thought the world revolved around us. And that is a typical mindset for an 18-year old. Fast forward 40 years and the 58 year old has been around long enough to know that the world keeps spinning regardless of who we are or what we do. It just seemed that many of the barriers that separated various cliques 40 years ago had melted away. The class of 1983 really was a class act…and still is.

And so I thank those who organized the event. And I also want to apologize to my fellow classmates. I have been terrible about keeping up with others. But I vow to do better. Life is too short…and getting shorter. But it’s not too late to rekindle old relationships and to honor each other as we take life one day at a time and as we move forward together…even though we find ourselves separated by distance.

Blessings and Peace to the Class of 1983.