Reunions-To Go Or Not To Go, That Is The Question

I missed my 40 year class reunion last year.  That is OK-I missed my 30 year reunion, my 20 year reunion, and my 10 year reunion too.  It is not that I had a bad high school experience. I suspect my high school years were pretty much like most people’s.  I even thought seriously of going to the 20 year and 30 year reunions, then just didn’t go.  Something in my subconscious held me back I guess.

 

It is the same way with family reunions.  My family has a big reunion every few years near Creston or Leigh, Nebraska.  The first reunion was held over 30 years ago, and I did go to that one.  And I can’t remember having a really bad time.  It was nice visiting Creston, it was nice seeing some relatives, and it was nice seeing farmsteads where my Dad grew up.  We also visited the local cemetery where many of my ancestors are buried.

 

Other than the first reunion I have made it to one more, the year Creston celebrated its centennial.  That was fun too, though I think my favorite part of that visit was buying a history of Creston that included references to some of my forebears.

 

I don’t know why I have not been to more reunions.  I am OK with most of my relatives.  I have even thought of doing an oral history of the Meyer/Settje families, and obviously a reunion would be a good place to start such a venture.  There are not many family ties to what once was.  All of my grandparent’s generation is gone-my Grandmother died 17 years ago.  Only a few of my Dad’s generation are left to regale us with stories of growing up on a depression area farm.  If I am going to do this, I better do it soon. 

 

Still, I have a terrible time making myself go to reunions.  There are a few reunions I wish I could make happen, but don’t really have the time to see that they do.  I would love to have a Washington Elementary School reunion, especially for those of us who attended the school in the late 50’s and early 60’s.  Washington School was on the wrong side of the tracks, but the teachers I had never just went through the motions.  They instilled in me a desire to learn that has done me well.  I believe there were many others just like me.  I would love to see childhood friends over 50 years later.

 

I would also enjoy a reunion of Fremont Volunteer Fire Department baseball team members.  It was not called Little League in Fremont.  There was a Peewee League for 8-10 year old boys, a Cookie League for 11-13 year olds, and a Midget League for 14-16 year olds.  I know my Dad coached VFD teams for 15 years, and there were quite a few championship teams in that era.  Again, this is part of my childhood I would love to reminisce of.

 

The other group I would enjoy seeing would be those who worked with me in night invoice at the George A Hormel Co. from 1968-72.  All of us attended Midland College, and all of us had the unique opportunity of working all night and going to school all day.  I wouldn’t trade that opportunity for anything, and I never want to do anything remotely like it again.  We did some extremely crazy things to keep awake in the wee hours of the morning.  These guys were a lot like the fraternity in Animal House, we just didn’t have the house. 

 

I don’t think I’ve solved my reunion dilemma, and I suspect part of this has to do with missing my Dad, who played a big part in most of the groups I discussed. Still happy memories that deliver a smile are good things.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

~ by Ron Meyer on July 10, 2009.