The Alumni Banquet

The main reason I went back to the Valley was for the MFHS Alumni Association Banquet.
I have already written a separate e-mail to those most connected with the hometown.

This is my mom.  Her name is Kerma.

All the photos taken that evening were done without flash.
It didn’t seem appropriate.
In spite of having on a shirt which received several compliments, there is not a single picture of me wearing it.  Being the person behind the camera can be very trying.

Since I had paid for my brother’s ticket, and he was not coming because he had something going on with his oldest son, my Chris got to eat instead.

Well, Chris, being his dad’s son, used his sense of humor and put on Bro’s name tag UPSIDE DOWN so that nobody else could read it properly.  When anyone mentioned it, he would look down and say that HE could read it and now he knows who he is supposed to be.
Some were surprised to see a guy so young, and then when he said he didn’t even graduate from this school, he was coming for the food, there were many, many grins.
I tell ya, the kid can schmooze.

The person who had come the farthest was from the state of Washington.  My Aunt Sara was a close second, coming in from Arizona.  I told my cousins who have lived in Alaska for ages that they might be contenders for traveling distance whenever they want to make their way back.

Our retired principal happened to sit next to my mom, with his wife next to him.  He was the chief from 1966 to 1993, so all five of us siblings were there under his supervision.

After the eats and all the business and speeches and the Roll Call (going all the way back for a member from the Class of 1938), there is a time of Open Microphone when anybody can make announcements and such.
One couple said they had met at a certain event in high school and now they have been married 40 years.

I had prepared a little speech about how I went back to college classes at the same time as my 30th Class Reunion.  I never told anybody that I had even written it, fearing that I might chicken out or they might have a different program this year.
When the time was announced, I took my paper and walked up in front of almost 400 people.
There were a few chuckles when I said I hope to get work as a Teacher’s Assistant—a Union Job.  I mentioned the quote on my bookmark, and then ended on a light note about mid-life.

Chris says I did great, both with the writing and the delivery.  I guess the Oral Communications class for credit was a good thing.

The retired principal shook my hand, and a few folks spoke to me after we were dismissed.  What did I have to lose?  I only see the crowd once a year, but I’m glad I found courage.  Believe me, events such as this can get boring, so I wanted a bright spot.

Although I do like the sense of history for being an Alumni, this is something my mom and I do together.  It gives me an excuse to travel during a pretty season.
This year, having young son along was a bonus.

Aunt Sara says the whole week was just wonderful.  Being a member of the 50 year class, she was on the stage at this year’s Commencement, there was a picnic for them, and special recognition at the banquet.
She says she is going to sleep for a week when she gets back to her place.
And she won’t miss the humidity at all.

both photos by Chris
~~love and Huggs, Diane