[Magdalen] Reunion blues

[Mahoney, W. Michael]

Not having graduated from anything, I don't really have  a class with which
to re-united.   But, since most of my friends from those days are dead and
gone, just thinking about the possibility makes me sort of blue.

Mike M

On Sat, Sep 8, 2018 at 9:35 AM Ginga Wilder <gingawilder at gmail.com> wrote:

> So, so true, Jay!  John and I have only missed one of our every 5 year
> reunions since 1965.  The adolescent peer group stuff has dissolved and we
> are simple a group of people who shared (mostly) 12 years of your childhood
> and youth together.  We are glad to see each other again.  I do not think
> anyone is planning a 55th reunion - we have lost a good number of
> classmates over the years.  Summerville High School Class of '65 students
> have tended to stay local to raise our families.  This means that we go to
> funerals of classmates and also their parents.  Small southern
> town....maybe 5-6000 citizens when we graduated - now nearing 125,000.
> Whew!
>
> Ginga
>
> On Sat, Sep 8, 2018 at 9:21 AM Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I went to my 40th and it was a revelation! I talked to people I had
> barely
> > noticed in high school, (or who had barely noticed me), hugged and was
> > hugged by people I had not exactly been friends with then, but became
> > friends with at the reunion, and learned a great deal. All the barriers
> > that used to be are down by 40 years on. I wish I had gone to the 50th.
> If
> > there's a 55th I'm going. I may never see those people again. Some I
> > probably saw for the last time at the 40th: some; sadly, I know I did, as
> > they have passed since then.
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 7, 2018 at 8:07 PM Lesley de Voil <lesleymdv at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Agreeing wholeheartedly with those who would say, “If you don’t go,
> there
> > > may be never another opportunity for closure in an unresolved breakdown
> > in
> > > relationship.” I went to the funeral of the wife of a colleague, and
> met
> > up
> > > with another ex-colleague whom I had resented for years. Suffice it to
> > say,
> > > we have both changed (? matured) and have become completely reconciled
> > > since then. If I had not gone to the funeral, even out of a sense of
> > duty,
> > > this reconciliation may never have happened.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > > Lesley de Voil
> > >
> > > On Sat, 8 Sep 2018 at 07:38, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > > What a marvelous reconciliation out of a moment of self-sharing and
> > > > forgiveness, 40 years on, Simon!
> > > >
> > > > I was just thinking, though, how Facebook may have changed class
> > reunions
> > > > somewhat: classmate Mike Wilkins could say he's been working as a
> > > producer
> > > > at WBUR in Boston for The World, a joint production of WBUR and the
> BBC
> > > > World Service. And we'd all say, "Yep, we know from Facebook...how
> > cool!
> > > > What celebrities have you met lately, and what is Marco Wurman like?"
> > > Mary
> > > > Jane Mudd could tell tales of being a spokeswoman for the Red Cross
> in
> > > > Houston during the horrible floods, and having to take harsh
> criticism
> > > for
> > > > perceived inadequacies in the shelters. "I know...how terrible; the
> > > > pictures were unbelievable." And I guess I can keep my own story
> brief
> > > and
> > > > avoid the glazed-over look when I explain what I do as a proposal
> > manager
> > > > for an end-to-end digital technology provider. "For details, see my
> > > > LinkedIn page." :)
> > > >
> > > > So fewer amazing tales of what-I'm-doing-now and more just
> spontaneous
> > > time
> > > > with people you've kept up with on all the newsy stuff. But I'm sure
> > some
> > > > amazement at seeing folks who don't show up on Facebook and whom one
> > > hasn't
> > > > thought about in years.
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Sep 7, 2018 at 3:29 PM Simon Kershaw <simon at kershaw.org.uk>
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I went to my 40th reunion last year.
> > > > >
> > > > > Soon afterwards I wrote this:
> > > > >
> > > > > 'And secondly there was meeting the person who had been the class
> > > bully,
> > > > > and I one of his victims. "I was in two minds whether to come," he
> > > said,
> > > > > "and especially what I would say to you." "We didn't always get on,
> > did
> > > > > we?" I replied, putting my arm round his shoulder. "I was
> horrible,"
> > he
> > > > > said, "not a nice person at all. I was bullied at home and I
> behaved
> > > the
> > > > > same at school." I think it was a moment of closure for both of us,
> > 40
> > > > > years on.'
> > > https://www.facebook.com/kershaw.simon/posts/1423775084383838
> > > > >
> > > > > and then added this in a private email:
> > > > >
> > > > > 'The background on Saturday was that the two of us had bumped into
> > each
> > > > > other very early on in the afternoon, and I had asked what he had
> > been
> > > > > doing and we chatted about our families and careers. Then later we
> > > found
> > > > > ourselves together again, and that's when the reported conversation
> > > took
> > > > > place, but after he had said that he didn't know how or what he
> would
> > > > > say to me he added "but you were brilliant, you just talked to me",
> > and
> > > > > it was at that moment that it occurred to me that I had it
> completely
> > > in
> > > > > my power to show that he was forgiven (I explicitly use religious
> > > > > language here). My gesture and words were completely spontaneous
> but
> > > > > intended to convey that. I presume they did so because he then
> opened
> > > up
> > > > > about his background. That was not known to me at the time (and
> > doesn't
> > > > > absolve him of responsibility for what he did), but I really sensed
> > > > > there was closure for him in this. And later, as I wrote the
> Facebook
> > > > > post, I realized that in a sense there was also closure for me.
> > > > > I didn't expect any of that to happen on Saturday.
> > > > > So ... okay, I'm happy for this to be shared with the Headmaster if
> > you
> > > > > wish to do so. But any further sharing I'd want to think about a
> bit
> > > > more.'
> > > > >
> > > > > You never know what's going to happen, or what impact it might
> have,
> > do
> > > > > you?
> > > > >
> > > > > simon
> > > > >
> > > > > On 07/09/2018 21.13, Rick Mashburn wrote:
> > > > > > I've never been to any of my reunions. I have absolutely no
> > regrets.
> > > I
> > > > > see
> > > > > > the people I want to see from time to time and have no interest
> in
> > > the
> > > > > > rest.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Simon Kershaw
> > > > > simon at kershaw.org.uk
> > > > > Saint Ives, Cambridgeshire
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Scott R. Knitter
> > > > Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
> > > >
> > > --
> > > Sent from MetroMail
> > >
> >
>