11 : Memories and Time - Something Borrowed

A Reunion of Memories and Time ...

 

 

Last night was our 25 year High School Reunion, it was a night of lots of hugs, laughter, tears and reminiscing of old times.  Even though a quarter of a century has passed since those final school days it feels like just yesterday when we were last together.  Time is an incredible concept, the world keeps spinning and the clock keeps ticking and yet our memories remain the same. 

 

It's hard to know whether we are all exactly the same in reality, or whether we simply become exactly the same only when with each other; feeling like we are teenagers once more.  The difference is now we can boldly walk up to the bar and order an alcoholic beverage without fear of being asked our age.  I almost felt like I should pull out my ID last night, and then smiled to myself when I knew I didn't need it.  Actually, it would have been a privilege to have been asked.  It would mean that a stranger also thinks that I still look as young as I once did, and not just my friends that assure me I look exactly the same.

 

How on earth can you make up for 25 years lost in only a few hours?  The answer is you can't possibly, however, you can certainly enjoy trying.  I just loved to hear what everyone was up to, I felt happy that all my friends were doing well and living their lives, each in different and interesting ways.  All of us have experienced both hard and good times over the past quarter of a century, but the night of memories concentrates on the good times and recognising how far we have all come. 

 

For a short while the world stood still and let us catch up again, it allowed us to relive those early years and fill in some of the missing gaps.  But memories are just that, moments in time already lived and then you move on.  The night moved on too before we could stop it, becoming a new memory for us all.  A fresh memory to add to all the others, one that we can access whenever we want to be with our friends again.  When we want to feel that special connection and remember that we have people in this world that care for us.  People that actually think of us more often than we could have ever appreciated, that genuinely want the best for us and are proud of our achievements quietly from afar.  That is something so special that even time can't take that away, memories belong to us forever and connections will remain unbroken. 

 

It felt wrong to say goodbye, it was hard to believe I wouldn't be seeing them all at school again on Monday, but those days are long gone.  There will be school on Monday, but not for us, now that privilege belongs to our children.  There is no such thing as goodbye.  When we next see each other it will be tomorrow, no matter how many years away tomorrow will be ...