My Thoughts on Class of ’66's 50th Reunion by Mary Stephenson Koury

     A Little Help From Words We Used To Know

For many classmates our 50th class reunion materialized at the 45^th when we were asked to START SPREADING THE NEWS for a grand celebration in June 2016; others HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. And still others found out through all the social media that few could have anticipated as 18 year olds that it

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends
Mary, Dawn, David, and Laurie

would be WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW.  OUR DAY WILL COME (and did) sooner than we expected because IT'S FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY, as I’m sure we all have come to realize with each passing year—50 Wow!   At the reunion I heard several of us echo this phenomenon.

So, many of us decided I'M LEAVING ON A JET PLANE and headed to the city where we were all together for the last time in May of 1966. Most (the committee statisticians told us that the large majority of our class did indeed stay in SD) didn’t need wings and found a LITTLE DEUCE COUPE or some other wheeled vehicle to transport them back in time.  Speaking of the committee, I am guilty of LEAVING IT ALL UP TO YOU, but so grateful to all who worked so hard to make this occasion memorable. The fact that many of them still continue to help keep us connected is one of the most unique features of our reunion—we’re being treated like family so LET'S HANG ON TO WHAT WE'VE GOT!

Mary Stephenson 1966

It seemed to me that from the moment we began to gather for the reunion festivities we were HAPPY TOGETHER. OH, WHAT A NIGHT, no one would just WALK ON BY but stopped to greet and visit with everyone they met happily recalling former teachers, sporting events and activities, class characters, DOWNTOWN i.e. main street, the lakes, and so much more about THE WAY WE WERE. Was it because since we left high school we have all experienced life with its joys, pains, triumphs, losses, disappointments, accomplishments, etc., and are happy to spend a weekend going back to before that all began?  MAMA SAID THERE WOULD BE DAYS LIKE THIS and how right she was; I'M A BELIEVER.  I'm not sure YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' even after being gone, how long?

We actually ended up with more than one LEADER OF THE PACK; so many have jumped in to take a role and share their skills to keep fun memories and past relationships an enjoyable part of our lives today. MEMORIES are (not) all we have to cling to. Even though TIME HAS COME TODAY for NA, NA, NA, NA, HEY, HEY, GOODBYE to an UNFORGETTABLE weekend I came to realize PRECIOUS AND FEW are the moments we (too) can share. Thanks to all who made and make it so.