Down-Memory-Lane Reunions

High school class reunions are a coupling of nostalgia for one’s youthful memories and a grappling with finding out that some classmates experience serious health challenges or are no longer living. As years progress post high school, the number of attendees dwindles. I was surprised to learn that one-third of my high school classmates have died. At our gathering there were helium-filled balloons with the name of each person who had died. We released the balloons skyward following our reunion luncheon. This had not been a part of our earlier reunions; the ritual was touching, but sobering.

There is a problem with releasing balloons. As the balloons finally die, their remains often are swallowed by animals who become ill and/or die. Ribbons attached to balloons may impede wildlife also. Some states have banned the practice altogether due to the serious consequences.

This made me wonder how others handle reunions. Google had answers, but not about the deceased. Reunion-planners may give a list of questions for classmates; I found that many of the online questions could be considered judgmental. An example is asking who in the class has the longest marriage. Another question asks who has been to jail!  How would a person with a divorce or jail-record feel about such questions? The question that I found most enlightening is this one:

• What are 3 things that you want to do in the next 5 years?

I cannot say that I found many answers to this question informally. Although one classmate asked me, “Are you still working,” it seemed that the opinion was that there must be something wrong with not fully “retiring.” Most talk was reminiscing-focused.

Curiosity expert Scott Shigeoka has a “Powerful Questions List” to engage people in thinking out-of-box.

• What was a challenging thing you did this month?
• When did you feel proud of yourself recently?
• What’s something new you’d like to try?
• What is life teaching you right now?

Survey results from Road Scholar report that 94% of older adults experience greater well-being among those who “age adventurously.” Folks reported feeling just as happy in their 50’s, 60’s, and beyond as they did in their 20’s and 30’s. There is no one size that fits all, and I am not referring to the size of your clothes, a topic of concern for some. The definition of aging adventurously might mean staying physically active by running around the yard with grandchildren, traveling more exotically than your parents’ generation, or creating a new bucket list and following through with your possibilities.

Road Scholar, a non-profit organization that creates 4000 learning adventures from birding to Beethoven for participants 50+, is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2025. June 8^th was pronounced “Age Adventurously Day” by Road Scholar. But isn’t every day a good day for some adventure?

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

401. You knew it was coming. What are 3 things that you want to do in the next 5 years?

402. How might you define aging adventurously?