And so it comes

Tomorrow afternoon we're heading over to Seattle, dropping the girls off with my parents, and then driving over to Kirkland to begin my 20-year high school reunion. Personally, I'm a little excited to see everybody (well, at least everybody who is showing up). I went to a small school, and had a graduating class of around 32, so we were probably a little tighter than, say, a class of 500. Whether or not we were all friends, we all at least knew each other fairly well. About 7 of us were together all the way from Kindergarten through 12th grade, so we had a lot of memories together.

This is how it was: we cleaned out our lockers, and went to our graduation rehearsal. The evening of graduation, we all joined in celebration of our achievements. A couple hours later we gathered at the school and drove to a large health club in Edmonds for a night of swimming, walleyball, and hanging out. Early the next morning we were dropped off back at the school, and we all drove home. I remember that moment - climbing in my car, watching all my classmates get in their cars, and thinking this truly was the end of it all. Some of those people I would never see again; many I wouldn't see for years. I did go to Grace's wedding a while later; Brent and I hung out whenever we were back in Seattle - I performed his wedding, and he came to mine. Other than that, I don't believe I've seen the rest of them since.

How quickly it all passes. Now most are married with kids, some are divorced, they are living in Florida and the Midwest, some are professionals and some aren't healthy. I don't think anybody's famous (my inclusion in a theological book notwithstanding), and I don't think anybody's dead.

Friday night we're getting together for a low-key hangout time. Saturday night we're getting on a boat and going to Tillicum Village. And it will be interesting to see what happens. Will it be 10 more years before we see each other again? Or will we reconnect and reclaim old friendships?

Some people dread reunions. Some people hate reunions. Me? I'm rather looking forward to it.

As if we needed more on generation gaps

Yesterday the members of the Key Peninsula Pastor's Association were enjoying a pleasant lunch out on our church's back deck. The discussion turned to building projects, and the 'joy' of working with all the various county and state agencies. Said one pastor, "It's like working with the Keystone Cops."

Shift focus to the lone youth pastor at the table. Notice his perplexed facial expression. Hear his query: "The Keystone Cops? Who's that?"

Listen to the wind blow through the trees, the solitary chirping of a bird high overhead, the moment of pregnant silence as everybody else realizes the enormity of what just happened.

I answer: "They're pre-'A-Team.'"

He: "Ahh, okay."

Wait a few more minutes for the universe to regain its equilibrium.

Somewhere, off in the distance, hear a gentle whimpering as the 20th-Century flows further and further away.