And one by one, so they came…
Attorneys and actuaries…
Politicians and professors…
Or my sweet friend, the creative, comic book store owner…
Pharmacists and philanthropists…
Owners and operators…
Salesmen and stay-at-home moms…
Moms and dads of several, of some… adopted or none…
Single parents and parents who’ve admirably called other children “son”…
All races, religions, and ethnic, gender, and demographic backgrounds…
White collar, blue collar, no collar at all.
Last weekend was my high school reunion. What a treat it was. See if you can follow me here, from the Intramuralist’s perspective…
We came from various places… Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, and more. We are a diverse group — albeit probably not as diverse as others — but diverse in scenario… circumstance… in both obvious and non-obvious ways…
Some came full of joy, expectation… others, perhaps, a little anxious, wondering who they would see… how they would feel… how they would be viewed and valued after so many years. Still others arrived with hidden heartache; some have tough circumstances at home.
Introverts and extroverts… there were incredible stories to share… of triumph. Of grief. Of sadness and success.
Yet regardless of story, we listened. We cheered. We consoled and we danced. It was a joy to gather together. It was a joy to dance.
It wasn’t a joy because we all act the same, believe the same, nor feel the same. It wasn’t a joy because we’re all healthy or happy or hopelessly getting along at home. It was a joy because our differences didn’t matter.
It wasn’t a substitute nor excuse. It wasn’t a denial of truth nor an acceptance of what’s not good, not healthy, or not true. It was a commitment to remain in relationship, no matter what.
Far too many seem to sacrifice community because of individual difference. Far too often the individual becomes more pronounced and celebrated than the whole. From foreign countries to the federal government, they forget far too quickly how to operate effectively and empathetically with the differences that are ever present.
I don’t know if my high school class could ever come close to solving the world’s growing and glaring problems. But I can tell you this… We’d work together, acknowledge the differences, refrain from denying truth, and always appreciate what we share.
We might also, just even, dance.
Respectfully,
AR
My reunion was this summer. We have had one every five years and this is the first one I missed. The organizers dubbed it our “Third, Tenth Reunion, ” because we are just not that old!! With so many of us on Facebook, we pretty much know what everyone has been up to lately.