This past weekend Nancy and I went to Tupelo for my--get this-- 40th class reunion.
I graduated in 1978 so this year marked the get back together time. I am really fortunate to have a younger wife. Nancy claims to be 29 and compared to some of my classmates, she just may be 29.
The function was a two day gathering, Friday and Saturday nights. We rolled into Tupelo on Friday afternoon and checked into the hotel.
We had a few hours to kill before things got kicked off. We headed downtown. There are some neat places to hang out. We stopped in an alley bistro before heading over to other fun downtown places. Tupelo’s downtown has really turned into a gathering place and has remained a popular destination. Friday evening was a chance to visit with folks we have not seen in years and years. Nancy and I also went to my 20th reunion. We were unable to make the 30th because Anna Lauren was in Jr. Miss then.
I was one of the younger ones in the class, having a birthday in November, and I started college when I was 17. We were trying to decide how many people were in the graduating class and if memory serves me correctly it was just over 300, about 30 of whom are deceased. About 150 attended, which meant 75 class members and spouses.
The venue was a place called the Kingfish Lodge. It was really nice, similar to what you would expect in the mountains. It is owned and operated by one of my classmates.
Friday night was a social mixer. Snacks were brought by the locals. That lasted until 9 and we ran into a girl who was friends with a girl I dated in school. I sent her a text message and Nancy and I met up with her for a visit. We laughed and talked about old times.
Saturday Nancy and I met my sister and brother-in-law for lunch and then headed down to see new property they had gotten. After a trip around the farm and a good visit it was time to head back to get ready for night two.
For the most part the folks at the reunion looked pretty good, but there were some that I had no clue as to who they were. Some of the people I looked most forward to seeing were not there. There were, of course, those who did not age as gracefully as others. For the most part, most were looking pretty good.
Saturday night was more of the same from the night before and we had a nice meal which included fried chicken, beef brisket and pork tenderloin. There was a nice selection of side dishes.
Entertainment for the evening was prerecorded music from the time we graduated. A lot of that music is still popular, but there is some that you don’t hear anymore.
I think time is taking its toll on me in that I just don’t hang as well as I used to so we called it an early evening.
It was fun to visit and stoke some old friendships. The next event is set for five years from now, and I already can hardly wait.
