Where do we go from here? (Corny, but true)

Larry Van Hoose

Wow, I just came from my 25th High School Reunion. Now what? Is my life over, the remainder of my days to be spent in a long, slow spiral heading down, down towards retirement, a walker and the nursing home?
I DON'T THINK SO!!!  I don't know about the rest of you, but I had a great time this past weekend...I didn't feel a day over forty-three!
And even if I didn't get to say Hi to everyone I wanted to, much less talk for any amount of time, I thought what a great group we turned out to be - not a serial killer in the bunch, but just hard-
working, focused, friendly, and a mostly happy good-looking bunch of Beavers!
Jeff and Wendy/Sherrie…thanks for the photos so fast! Don't you think everyone looked great! For that matter, we are great…each strong, special, and beautiful in our own individual way. All of us
taking different roads, facing unique and personal challenges, triumphs and tragedies, but standing up through all of it with a smile on our face and nothing but hope for the future. I know all of us don't feel we looked our best this weekend, or even "acted" our best, but who cares? I certainly didn't. I've never been more
comfortable or felt liked I belonged in a group that large since, well, since high school. We belonged together because we belonged together. I was sorry to go and I'm already missing my new old friends, I mean my old new friends, I mean…you know what I mean! ;-)
So, what did I garner from this monumental event, this milestone along life's travels, this really big bump in the road?  Mostly, not to act like a spoiled little brat and whine about what I can't have, but to be grateful for where I came from, for the friends and family I've had, have, and hope to have, and to have a strong eye towards
the future. Not to concern myself with "impressing" the masses, but (even now with my kids growing up and becoming their own unique selves) to find that special "next thing" that I want for my life and to get after it. I'm not done chasing my dreams just because my hair is a little thinner, my eyes take longer to focus, and my
metabolism is way too slow for my diet...far from it. And based on what I saw and heard from you all, I'm thinking we'll have lots more to talk about the next time we're together; not just where we've been, but where we're going.
Last, but not least, I want to thank all of you again for a great weekend and the fun we shared. I wish each of you the same things…days and days full of smiles & hugs, good times & good friends, and the best possible road to travel on until we meet again. Find a little comfort in this if nothing else; we know who you are, we know
where you came from, and we love you still.
Godspeed….
Larry Van Hoose
PS: Let's work harder together at finding the "missing" next time around. There are still too many "old" friends who might need a good hug or three!

Comments from Ken

Ken Koontz

What a great time we had!!!!! It was great seeing and talking to everyone.  I have to agree with Larry VanHoose's comments.  I had a few people that I work with ask why I wanted to go to a reunion of High Scool class mates.  When I told them I looked at a Class Reunion like a family reunion.  After all we did spend 3 to 6 or more years together many times 8 hours a day or more.