College Reunion

I just returned from yet another college reunion, my 45th--and they never get old.  Of course, just being on campus is a special treat, very special.  Last summer I ran into a guy whose son when to a college reputed to have the most beautiful campus in the US.  He admitted, though, that after his son visited Amherst, "Amherst had it beat."  I think so, too.

I drove up from the airport and took the back roads, as I often do.  I like driving through "The Notch" that splits the Holyoke Range.  It's hilly and a bit tricky, but very scenic.  And the Mt. Holyoke campus, where I had several friends, is very pretty, too.

Arriving on campus, I went to the gym and secured a locker in the locker room so I could run.  I took a leisurely run of about an hour, traversing the campus and some of the town.  The campus is much the same; the town is pretty well different.  But it's fun to see everything anew on foot.

Besides just being back at Amherst, seeing special people was terrific, too.  I met my former teammate, roommate, and good friend early Fri afternoon (We roomed together again at the Howard Johnson) and were practically inseparable for two days.  On Sat AM, he and I picked up another teammate and good friend and headed down to West Springfield for a highlight, always a highlight, of any trip back to Amherst.  I set up a breakfast or brunch for my teammates who still live in the Hartford and Springfield areas.  This year we had a record turnout--13 of us!  As I looked up and down the tables in the IHOP, I wondered if there could be a better collection of guys.  I think not, at least not many.  It was a great, great AM and two hours passed far too quickly.  As we left each other, we were already making plans for "the next time" I visit.

About half of them followed us back to Amherst for a dedication ceremony for our coach, the establishment of a plaque on the field where, in 43 years his baseball teams won well over 800 games--and the teams didn't play 30 games every year either!  It was warm (mid-90s), but a nice tribute.  As I talked to him afterward, thanking and congratulating him, he murmured, to me, with a smile, "You and Bobby Jones started all this, you know."  Yep, I guess I do.  But I think I came out a bit ahead in the deal, with my Amherst education and the relationships I formed.

Previously, on Fri eve, our class hosted a reception at the Emily Dickinson House/Museum.  Several professors from our time were there.  I was honored to "host" Professor Romer, my physics professor, and also have a lengthy talk with Professor Starr (math).  We had dinner planned at our class tent and my buddies left for it, but I stayed behind for about another hour just to talk with the professors.  How could I give up talking to "gods?"  We talked their subjects, teaching itself, some common folks, and even their current projects.  Let's see, this was my 45th reunion and they, then, must be how old?  And they are both still very active, as are their wives.  It was a delightful evening, one I won't forget.

Dinner, it had started before I arrived from Emily's, was good and then we spent another 3 hours or so catching up with class mates.  Most, naturally, were guys I knew back when--and I enjoy talking with them.  But what is also really cool is that, esp at the past few reunions, I've made connections with guys I either didn't know or maybe barely spoke with in three or four years.  But it's interesting how, just really meeting some of these guys maybe 7 or 10 years ago, we've developed a nice bond and greet each other heartily.

Of course there are others, ones with whom we had classes or shared majors, ones who worked with us in the dining hall, etc.  One fella walked up to me at the baseball field and introduced himself.  I didn't recognize him/his name, but he was a freshman when I was a senior.  I must have looked a bit puzzled and the guy said, "You played rugby, didn't you?"  Yep and he remembered that.  Wow!  And it was great to talk with them, too.   I know some will find this hard to believe, but there was very little beer flowing between us.  I think I might have had three the whole time.

Again, though, spending time with my teammates was extra special.  I can't express how much I enjoy that.  Yes, we do spend some talk going over past games and fun stuff.  But we also focus a lot on the present--families, health, goals, even the state of affairs.  Unfortunately, although we sometimes tried, we didn't solve the world's problems.  Some of the discussions do get a little heavy and that's good--I went to college with a lot of smart guys!  I don't remember if it was Fri or Sat night, but after one of my buddies posed a question I laughed and said, "Hey, this sounds like one of our Problems of Inquiry essays!"  We all chuckled at that one.

I think I would be hard-pressed to come up with a better way to spend three days.  And, as I noted above, we are all starting to think about "the next time."