Reunion Revisited

Reunion Revisited

Surviving a pole dance by the most colorful classmate, insured our reunion afternoon of certainly being one of the most memorable on record. Now don't let your mind run away with some sultry image, something I'd wish to find in a rocker's bar. Rather, it was our youngest at heart male member, Captan Jack, who was the dancer, and for the part, was dressed just right in his short shorts.

Chris Poje, a rarely found very good singer, provided the entertainment and brought out the best in Jack's dancing. I commented to my table mates, that I'd get a mime to entertain us so conversations could continue through the entertainment, if I were were in charge. Isn't the idea of reunion to be that of renewing associations with people who we have been separated from for a long period of time ? Reconnection seems best renewed by speaking with those long separated, in stead of, concentrating on entertainment bought and paid for.

I doubt if anyone in my class will be reading this. Knowing this, I can offend without being offensive since "out of sight, means out of mind". I would assign seats from the get go, then at each half hour, everyone would be asked to move and continue that process throughout the duration. Moving from table to table forces everyone to see each other, rather than, from a glance around the room to a somewhat more intimate connection. A connection, granted, that may be more than any closeness that happened even in school.

A dud, like me, would benefit from this experience. From living outside of town and some strain in my family's affairs, I rarely involved myself in school activities, to the extent of, even not attending my graduation. Maybe, that's why I've over compensated by being so active in the affairs of Pottstown. I've been President of many organizations, school board member, two term borough council, eight years borough authority, one of three class members who were voted as Pottstown Alumni honor roll recipients,
and have had an Amphitheater at Riverfront Park named in my honor noted by means of a bronze plaque attached to a stone which sets there.

The boy I was in school is not the man I've turned out to be in my intervening years. I'm sure many others have experienced similar epiphanies unknown to them during their school years. Because I've become relatively immobile, I don't move around a room on my own volition, in fact, I rarely go out much at all. I must come across as aloof just as I was in school, surely I was acknowledged then as a football player, but for little else. How am I to alter my image in later life if not given a chance to BS a captured audience ? Most likely death will get me or them before we get together again so that I may read my poetry to classmates in the tradition of Mr.Gable or Miss M. Ludwig.

Ronald C. Downie