The Reunion That Changed My Life

The Reunion That Changed My Life

Talk about a class reunion to remember...that would be my 30th.

From June of 1964 to August of 1994, the years sped by. During that period of time, my life consisted of two graduations: high school and college, one marriage, births of two children, rearing them, one divorce, deaths of both parents and a brother, four jobs, and four moves. That sounds all cut and dried when it's put on paper, but oh, my goodness, the emotional upheavals and the joys, the highs and the lows of life, were tangible almost on a daily basis. So, looking forward to my 30th high school class reunion in the summer of '94 was a good thing, something to celebrate.

If you've never served on a committee to plan a class reunion, you are missing out on a project that is so much fun! I highly recommend it. The dozen or so classmates from my class of 1964 who volunteer every five years have the best time meeting for about five months prior to the actual event, brainstorming and planning a weekend of special activities. It just gets better with each reunion, and we've come to the mutual conclusion that the ones who attend the reunions get more light-hearted every time because most of the pretentiousness, which may have been present in past years, has been tossed out the window. The comparisons no longer matter: careers, salaries, children, cars, houses, vacation homes, jobs, do you even have a job? Who cares? We are just proud we're still vertical and not horizontal!

My mind was made up -- as a single lady, I planned to enjoy my 30th high school class reunion to the hilt. I had done all I could do to look my best for the special occasion, and most importantly, I was mentally and emotionally healthy and happy. As part of the planning committee, I made the rounds to speak to every person attending the summer evening’s dinner and dance...to talk with these men and women who I had known nearly all my life. The sights and sounds of warm greetings, laughter, renewed friendships, tinkling of ice in glasses, delightful conversations flowing from every corner of the room, and "our" music of the sixties playing in the background made for a great evening. At dinner, almost all of us singles gathered at the same table to eat and chat. The attention that one recently divorced classmate paid me was very flattering. I liked it when he smiled and caught my eye off and on while we ate our meal across from one another. He directed a lot of questions and remarks my way, catching up on thirty years worth of life and where it had taken us since our graduation day in June of 1964.

After a nice meal, we all pushed back our dining chairs, the DJ began spinning the records, and the dancing began. Small groups of us would engage in light conversation all through the evening, but I was very aware of the one particular classmate who had sat across from me at dinner. I really thought that he was going to be making his way over to my side of the dance floor. Toward the end of the evening, the DJ announced a Ladies Choice dance, so in a friendly manner, I approached him. “Denver, would you like to dance?” He answered, “Yes." He said yes!

There were three “slow dances” in a row. I remember vividly because he held me closely around my waist during, after, and in between each one, not letting go. I have to say that my heart was a bit fluttery because it had been a long time since I had actually been enfolded in the arms of a man! I hardly knew what to do with my own arms and hands and feet...how to stand...this closeness was making me sweat. No, wait a minute, southern ladies "glisten and glow!" When the last dance of this reunion night was announced, Denver and I were standing side by side, still in a half embrace, smiling at each other. I'm glistening and glowing with heart aflutter, when, to my genuine surprise, as the music of the final song faded, without warning, he slowly lowered me in his strong arms -- dipping me, we called it -- and asked if I would go out on a date with him the next weekend when he came to town. In my racing thoughts, I was enthusiastically shouting, “YES, YES!” But out loud, in answer to his question, I calmly said, “Well, that would be nice, I’d like that.” I am quite sure that I blushed.

At that moment, how could I have known that within six weeks we would be exchanging rings and wedding vows before God and man? And how would I have ever imagined at age forty-eight that I would be moving two hours away from my hometown to live in Denver's home north of Atlanta, learning how to be joined in Holy Matrimony once again, after having been divorced for fourteen years from the father of my two grown sons? This was almost beyond my scope of imagination.

Denver was almost a foot taller than I, and I loved looking up at him, feeling secure in his arms as we occasionally would turn on the HiFi stereo and play old record albums from his collection and dance in our living room. The romantic tunes of Johnny Mathis, The Platters, Elvis, The Drifters, Ray Charles, Floyd Cramer, Connie Francis, The Everly Brothers, and other favorites of the 1960s era, erased the thirty years interlude when we had danced with other partners.

"Chances are 'cause I wear a silly grin
The moment you come into view
Chances are you think that I'm in love with you
Guess you feel you'll always be the one and only one for me
And if you think you could
Well, chances are your chances are awfully good."

The dancing stopped that first week of November 2002. The reunion that had begun in late August of 1994, with an innocent girl-asks-boy-to-dance, ended when Denver's health failed and he died of cancer, passing from my arms into the strong arms of his Heavenly Father. Our song was far too brief, but oh, it was a lovely dance...one that I wouldn't have missed for the world.
--------------------------------------------------

"Chances Are" was written by Al Stillman and Robert Allen and recorded by Johnny Mathis. It reached #1 in 1957.
You can hear him singing this by going to the website http://www.sappylovesongs.net/ChancesAre.html

Story ID:	2030
Written by:	Susan Hammett Poole (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	OurEcho Announcement
Writers Conference:	$500 2007 Family Memories Writing Project
Location:	LaGrange Georgia USA
Year:	1994
Person:	Susan and Denver