| 10/10/08 12:50 AM |
#115
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Eric T. DeZubay
As I told a few people at the reunion, our illustrious committee really didn't plan a reunion... this was closer to a World's Fair.
Let's see: Friday Night Football game, Friday night post game at Carbonara's, Saturday Tour of the High School, the Reunion at an insanely beautiful facility at PNC Park (and smack in the middle of the biggest fireworks display in US history), and Sunday brunch.
I think I was too naive to be nervous about seeing everyone because I was genuinely excited; and my expectations were still exceeded. I wasn't the least bit worried about people walking around taking inventory on who accomplished what. This is clearly a classy group of individuals who all realize that life is too short to dwell on the superficial, and instead, were much more inclined to maximize the brief time we had. I saw everyone sharing stories and making sure the person next to them knew how much they were thought of.
It was a privilege to be a part of it, and a real honor for me to be among all of you.
To give you an idea of what a unique opportunity this occasion can be, I'll share my personal story with you.
I came to the reunion with four friends. The first two were in my homeroom all four years: Noreen Dean and Laura Dorman. In high school, I was star struck by both of them, and quite frankly, I was so afraid to talk to them, I don't think I had a meaningful conversation with either of them in any of those four years. WOW! What a great opportunity this was for me to make up for a lot of lost time.
Next, was Mary Anne Lewis. We were math buddies, and our desks formed a triangle with Kevin Lape in Algebra-Trig. Needless to say, we had a lot of laughs in that little circle of ours. Mary Anne went into the same industry I did, and as fate would have it, we bumped into each other just before the 10 year reunion. It was a no-brainer for us to hook up for that and reunite. We missed each other for the 20th, but I was so proud to be a part of her group again for our 30th.
And finally, my fourth friend in this group was Cindy Lammert. Considering I have been best friends with Cindy for about 46 of my 48 years on this planet, I could write pages and pages about what she means to me, but I'll spare you the gushy details. Cindy lived two doors apart from me and we walked to school together in Markham. Then we walked to school together in Mellon Jr. High. And then we walked to school together in High School. We went to the prom together, then the 10th, 20th and now 30th reunion. I don't know what I did to deserve her as a friend, but I give thanks every time I think about her.
It just goes to show how wide the spectrum of experiences can be when you attend an event like this. And that's what puts this reunion in a class by itself - never mind the restaurant, never mind the ball park, never mind the fireworks... it all boiled down to one thing... YOU.
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