Our 50th Reunion was, without doubt, the most engaging and enjoyable 5 days I have ever spent in and around Hanover. I am so appreciative of the thought and work that went into The Book and all the Reunion events. I'm talking not just about the movers and shakers behind the scenes, but also about all of you who contributed your thoughts, photos, and attendance. I want to share three realizations from my drive home to Maine.
The first was that we have evolved beyond that Class that spent 4 years in Hanover between 1965 and 1969. We have become a community that shares our thoughts, feelings, experiences, fears, and hopes. We are truly 'a Class with class' living up to our motto. I am proud and happy to be a part of us.
The second was that the conversations were very different from so many that I have experienced at Class gatherings in the past. Overwhelmingly, we spoke not about our past exploits (real or imagined), but about who we are now, what interests us today, who is in our personal network, and what our hopes and plans are for the future. I was struck by how many questions were asked, and by how much time was spent exploring the worlds of our classmates as opposed to talking about our own worlds. We were all engaged in learning about and from each other. When we reminisced, it was with nostalgia rather than bravado. You and your life partners are a wonderful, exciting, surprising, informative and supportive group. Thank you for including me.
The third was that there is no reason we have to stop connecting and growing. We do not have to wait another 5 years for the chance to share and learn. If your experience at Reunion was like mine, there were people you didn't get a chance to talk to and people with whom you had conversations that you didn't have time to finish. Maybe you realized later that there was something else you had wanted to ask or share. Or perhaps you were unable to attend and, having read The Book, you have some thoughts you want to share or questions you want to ask. So...
Please feel free to email me with things to share here on our Class site. Things you heard for the first time. Things you learned. Things you are now preparing to do or to learn. Questions for the Class as a whole or for groups or individuals. Use either my personal email or my webmaster email. I will post your comments here in our News and Updates section. Unless you ask to be anonymous, I will attribute the remarks. The Search function on the Class site will make it possible to find comments or stories about people that are named. so this can become a growing repository.
(We are working on a way for all of us to share our photos from Reunion. Stay tuned for more on that.)
Thanks again to all for a wonderful 5 days.
Peter Elias
Class '69 Web'ster
