Mackenzie Reunion Part 2

Bottom line: I wouldn’t have missed my high school reunion for the world.


I was there on Saturday night not just as a 1974 graduate, but also to take pictures for The CJN. I regret that I didn’t manage to capture some of the best moments, like the sudden recognition of an old friend or former teacher, and the resulting exuberant hugs. They were over so quickly, and there were so many people to reconnect with!

But, for me personally, there was also a poignancy that I didn’t remember from previous reunions. Several people I spoke to had lost a parent in recent years. As well, the pleasure of seeing a few old classmates in particular was tempered by the thought that one of my best friends in high school, who died at age 40, couldn’t see for herself the type of adults they had become.

On a brighter note, I was delighted to see almost a dozen of my elementary school classmates, who I discovered last summer have become a group of warm and interesting adults. We reconnected in July for a Grade 3, 4 and 5 reunion, and got to know each other again through a series of more than 600 group e-mails – no exaggeration. (I wrote about it in The CJN’s Community Focus supplement last August. You can view it by clicking here.)

The internet is a wonderful adjunct for reunions, building anticipation and helping people connect. I found this blog on the Mackenzie Facebook page and enjoyed it very much.

Now that it’s over, people are already talking about the next one. Only 10 more years.