My HS Reunion

Last summer, am HS classmate told me that we'd be having our reunion after 25 years. I found it incredulous! That's a quarter of a century! Did you know that the span between the two World Wars was 25 years? That was more than a lifetime for a lot of people. And now. . .

In HS, I wasn't exactly "da man". You see, I never made it to the honor's list, never been a teachers pet, never could have played for the varsity, never been popular with the girls, was with the third section at best (and proud of it), never been called to sing on stage... well, you get the picture. My personal claim to fame was a better than average NCEE score. I was known more for my extra-academic antics which elicited a rebuke or two from my teahers that made my father none too happy about it, to put it mildly.

I went to the reunion expecting nothing but I came out with everything - new friends, renewed friendships, better friendships-everything turned out great! There was Alphonse Alagon, whom I haven't spoken to since I saw sunlight but I went to school with for three years, who seemed like a lost bro. Rey Chavez, who had an interesting story to tell, went to Italy as a cook for a local mobster (he says) and ended up in Los Angeles kitchen of Hollywood movie director John Frankenheimer (Ronin, Holcroft Covenant). Unbelievable! In Feburaury of 2004, Berdeth Piquero, who was in Rimini, Italy, was in a meeting two buildings away where the great Italian climber Marco Pantani committed suicide. It was total pandemonium outside, she said.

When my parents had their 25th HS reunion back in '75, they had probably three classmates who were from out of town and none from abroad! In our group, Divine Word College-Tagbilaran class '80, many from out of the country came home and a lot more couldn't make it. I wouldn't be surprised if class 2000 has 100% members coming from abroad, and that's because of the political quagmire that we're in, not because of nursing. Of course, it wouldn't have been called a reunion if old flames were not stoked but it was done in a decent and humorous manner.

Suddenly, three days of fun wasn't enough. I wasn't nostalgic about the whole thing because I was just soaking everything up while the others were planning about the next reunion even as we still had to wrap up the 3-day event. Our gathering never had a "Romy and Michelle" (remember this movie?) moment in spite of the unspoken rivalries (who doesn't have one?) between sections and classmates 25 years ago. It was like the river of goodness had just overflowed. Even our teachers looked good! Of course there were a few sad stories but that's life, you take the good the bad.

I'd like to thank these amazing people of the organizing committee for the unforgettable three days. Tootsie Escobia, Amy Laurel, Tessie Mapute, Stella Ingles, Joy Bullecer, Claire Bueno and all the others - thank you! You made us out-of-towners feel like members of the royal family. Thanks, too our classmates who made the pilgrimage from Texas, New York, Siquijor, Michigan, London, Cebu, Japan, Davao, LA, Dubai... did I miss a place?

Next time you're going to have your reunion, please go. Remember, four years (or more for some) of your lives were intertwined these guys. Just don't get old asking yourself, "what if...?"

Three days, and what a blast!