The “Final Reunion”!

    The “Final Reunion” was the title on the invitation.

Sounds rather deadly.

It was an invitation to my class reunion… but the committee apparently decided we were getting too old for such shenanigans and this would be the last one.

Now keep in mind that I hadn’t been attending most of these get-to-gethers.  But it was kind of creepy to think that this would be the “last” one.

The class president explained... 

 The reason for having a “Final” reunion was: “Turning 80 comes with new limitations and losses - mobility, vision, hearing, dexterity, driving, dietary, memory, financial, loss of spouse, loss of energy, - some experiencing these more than others.”  

“The committee, mindful of these changes, has selected a site and menu that best addresses these needs.”

Where would you have a “final" reunion?

I could only guess their choice would be the closest nursing home.  Actually, a mortuary would be a good site…  it sounded like we were almost there anyway.

On consideration…

The committee is made up of good kind folks who are just being considerate.

And I’m just being me… like I usually am.  

But there are so many things I’ve learned in all these years.  I haven’t gone to many reunions because I have not been comfortable in such situations.  

But I’m getting better at it - and even enjoying it.

Hmmmm…. The Final Reunion!

Maybe I should go….  I just opened my old yearbook. I liked the kids back then.  I’d like to know what they have learned over the years.

And I was touched by reading what my old journalism teacher had written so long ago in my year book.  

We had a weekly newspaper at the school and I was involved in it fanatically… mostly writing after midnight following my regular homework, etc.  We even went to the printers with our layouts and when we needed more “fill” for a page I would whip something together.

You can see how my teacher might have been concerned about my writing and had even taken some home to read to his wife to see if they were printable!

But he went to bat for me.

And my journalism teacher wrote:

And he wrote in my yearbook:  “Farewell to my poet, philosopher and friend.  Don’t be gone forever.”

Now I can understand how a teenager could write poems and be a friend.  But it amazes me that he could call me a “philosopher”!  

I googled the word.  The noun philosophy means… the search for wisdom… to understand how and why people do certain things…how to live a good life… to know the meaning of life.

Well… all these years later and I’m still doing that!

But maybe he “saw” something in me that I didn’t know about.

That’s what teachers do, you know!

(Thank you Mr. Nielson.)

“Groping”… Naaaaah!

Test driving a new vehicle - one you aren’t familiar with - which has all the new “bells and whistles” - can be stressful.

But you can end up smiling!

Here we go!

I’ve tested out a couple of new cars recently.

You’re probably already feeling sympathy for the salesman who had to ride along with me!

Safety devices or just confusing?

Keep in mind that nowadays you can be overwhelmed by all the gadgets that are supposed to help you drive safer.  There are lights flashing and warning beeps and just general chaos as you drive along.  

In my confusion I realized this was not starting well.   

Actually, all I wanted was an empty parking lot where I could figure out what every thing meant.   

Trying again!

It took a couple of weeks before I was ready to try driving another car.

My son instructed me to tell the salesman to just let me sit in the car for ten minutes while I got used to everything in its place.

This one did.  And I love the car… and I didn’t have to have all the beeping on to bother me.

After awhile we headed onto the freeway and we were good.

Here it is folks!

We came off the freeway and maneuvered through the crowded big city streets.  Four lanes of traffic were converging on the upcoming intersection.

I was in traveling in the right lane.

All of a sudden, a vehicle came from the opposite side of the intersection and cut in front of the car next to me and swooped in front of me before sweeping into a business driveway.

I never saw the car… until it was slashing through my lane!

I found that my reflexes were great as I slammed on the brakes and avoided a collision.

The funny part is coming.  

Now some of you might remember that a few years ago we didn’t have seat belts in cars.   I was a mother of small children.  So I had trained myself to swing my right arm over to the passenger seat and protect a young one from falling forward.    

And so I automatically did the same thing to protect the salesman riding along with me!

Except there was a problem!  He was a big fellow.  While I had jammed on the brakes and held onto the steering wheel with my left hand - I took my right hand and grabbed him.

Except I didn’t grab his chest.  I grabbed his leg!  Well… actually his upper thigh…  kind of closer to his crotch.   (Also known as the groin or the lower ventral area to some of my more shy readers.)

The conclusion?

When the excitement was over I told him that today he could go home and tell his wife that an 80 year old grandmother saved him from a collision while she almost grabbed his crotch!

But more important…

But I also realized that there are times when avoiding an accident needs your personal quick response… which you get by paying attention to your driving.  Because you may need to make a decision before these new safety features can respond. 

Just a thought.