This past weekend was so much fun! Lawrence and I attended my high school reunion and pre-reunion party in Cincinnati. It has been 40 years since I graduated from high school, and my, have times and my friends changed! It was wonderful to reconnect and try to catch up, but a few hours was totally inadequate for the task. I advocate having a reunion every year from now on. We have known each other for so long that we seem like family.

Speaking of family, I want to give a big shout out to my friend Sandy, my sister from another mister. She was an amazing and accommodating hostess for the reunion weekend. We actually did live together in a sister-like arrangement for a time our senior year of high school after my parents divorced and my mother and younger siblings and I moved to Florida. I begged my father to allow me to return to attend my senior year of high school in Cincinnati, so I lived with Sandy and her family until he could procure an apartment suitable for the two of us.

I couldn’t help conducting an unscientific study of the effects of lifestyle choices on the appearances of my former classmates. We truly are a result of our lifestyle/health choices. Maintaining one’s health is hard work and involves dedication and sacrifice. Many people spend more thought, time, and energy maintaining their vehicles than they do their bodies. You can’t trade in your body for a newer model.

Not that I am perfect. And aging affects us all. I am still tired today after staying up till midnight on Friday night and till 2:00 am on Saturday night. Funny how I can’t sleep late in the mornings after staying up late like I used to be able to do when I was younger. I woke up at 5:30 am this morning and tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. And my legs feel weird today because we were standing around talking to each other for about four hours Saturday night. I used to stand for 10 hours and more and thought nothing of it in past jobs I have had. My legs felt better after I walked vigorously on the trail behind out house for 40 minutes this morning.

Many of our friends did not come to the reunion and that makes me sad. I am sure there are many reasons not to attend a high school reunion, but I attend because I want to make people happy. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I know it makes me happy when I see people that I used to see in high school. Even if I did not know them well, it is good to see they are still in the world and hopefully enjoying life. There is always hope, even if they aren’t enjoying life, as long as they are alive. We need one another, especially as we age. Isolation is a natural tendency as we get older but we should fight it for our own good. Socialize, socialize, socialize. We have a lot of knowledge to share. Get out there and volunteer if you have time on your hands! And if you have health problems, or want to prevent having health problems, come to the health club for seniors when  it is open and we can age gracefully together!