50th High School Reunion Looking Back and Forward
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ing life’s great adventure, most of us thought we had finally figured out how things work. In other words, we had become our parents. And we had fun too! As well as crisscrossing our home and native land, we hitchhiked around Europe, cruised through the Panama Canal, waited for Deng Xiaoping to open the door, and we even bungee jumped over Victoria Falls in Africa. Now here we are, 50 years later, being asked to reflect upon our journey. “What were the highlights?” “What were the best and worst memories?” And most significantly, “What are we doing now?” Although a few of us are still employed, most of us are “retired” – an interesting word. It means, “to withdraw, go away, or remove oneself,” “to withdraw from worldly matters or the company of others.” Is this what we are doing? Is this what we want to do? While there were many signposts when we began life’s adventure telling us where we were, where we were going, and where we should have been going, there are no such markers at this stage in our lives. It is up to us to figure out what to do next. So, what are we doing now? Our most consistent response is “Having fun with and enjoying our grandchildren,” and it seems we have plenty of them, the most being 13. Although not in the Guinness Book (97 is the record), that’s still plenty! With our grandchildren, we do not have to help them try “to figure out
Photo: Darby Carswell
BY ALAN HEDLEY
ast June, I attended the 50th reunion of Prince of Wales High School (formerly located at 25th & Marguerite). After the initial shock of realizing how long ago I last saw some of my classmates, I had a great time. Prior to the reunion, the organizing committee sent us questionnaires asking about “the good old days,” what we did after graduation, and what we are doing now. After the reunion, the committee gave everyone a copy of the 41 responses it received. Below is my interpretation of these responses, paying particular attention to what we are doing now - half a century later! Fifty-odd years ago, we set out on the most important journey of our lives - a journey of self-discovery. At the time, although we did not know where our paths would lead, we were advised to follow signposts along the way: graduation, career, love, marriage, and family. In a way, we were pioneers; we didn’t think anyone had been down this path before, certainly not our parents, who must have been hatched as full-grown adults. They obviously didn’t know what we were going through or the difficulties we experienced. Instead, we sought counsel and consolation from each other, sometimes forming lifelong friendships in the process. Little did we realize at the time that these bonds were an extremely significant part of the puzzle we were trying to figure out: How to connect with one another and with the larger society? Upon graduation from high school, many of us signed up for further instruction in “charting the way” before heading off to become doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, and starting our own families. Though we all experienced many trials and tribulations dur-
what to do when I grow up,” we can grow with them: “I’m enjoying learning and exploring the world with them. Such great teachers and humorists they are!” They are our true “mentors” – still full of the wonder and awe most of us have largely lost along the way. With them, we can regain at least a part of those “wonderful innocent times.” And here’s a piece of advice one classmate offered: “Try something new every year.” We have plenty of time and few restrictions, so we may engage the world on our terms. As former President Jimmy Carter recommends in his book on The Virtues of Aging, “The bottom line is to take on almost any tasks that are interesting and challenging – the more the better.” Our journey of self-discovery, begun so many years ago, is not over until we reach our final destination. Rather than dwell on when our journey will end, why not truly enjoy ourselves along the way? The word for “retirement” in SL Spanish is “jubilación!”
SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND
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23/09/2007 12:10:59 PM