Shackman’s suggestion for this week’s Friday 2 on 1 Blog Post came as a total surprise to me and coincidentally, as I write this on the day prior to the Friday post, I have just returned from a reunion.
I have been attending three types of reunions the last two decades. The first are family ones where the family and some close friends get together during weddings, special anniversaries, upanayanams, special birthdays etc but, since the last three years I have stopped going out of Pune as I find it difficult to tackle airports, railway stations etc. So, an understanding family has decided to accept my absence with grace and forgive me my inability to attend.
Another reunion that I attend is of my classmates from Business school and here too, I attend only those that are held in Pune or, at best near Pune. The last one that I wrote about is this one. Subsequently, there have been a few more and one with many out of town and country visitors who exited to Mahabaleshwar via Pune in January. Some of the classmates who live in Pune now get together often particularly when one who normally lives in the USA visits Pune in the winter. Sometimes, some visitors from Mumbai on business to Pune give us an opportunity to get together and those too are very much looked forward to.
The third reunion that I attend regularly is that of my ex colleagues from Mumbai which is held twice a year. I wrote about one of them here. These reunions are held mostly in Mumbai or around these parts as, travel is easy for all of us. This is the type of reunion that I attended today at Lonavala. Some of my colleagues had come up yesterday and spent the night at the resort where the reunion took place but some of us just made the day trip for obvious reasons. Two of us from Pune drove up in the morning and returned after lunch.
For me such outings are emotionally very charged and I enjoy every moment that I am with old classmates or colleagues. I am however sad that I am unable to attend more due to my health issues. My regrets however are somewhat assuaged as I am in regular touch with all of them through daily WhatsApp group messages exchanged. A great way to keep in touch and share news and other information of interest to all in the group.
To see what Shackman has to say on the subject, please do visit his blog. Thank you.
T
“Emotionally charged” being the operative word. Which is, so I believe, why many who are invited to reunions feign boredom and hence don’t attend. Cowards I say. Look what stored in the attic square in the face.
U
That is an interesting observation. I am yet to come across one who fits the bill but, who knows, a few may be lurking behind smoke screens of health issues!
I hadn’t thought about reunions this way until reading this article. As long as my mother lives with me I’m never going to another family reunion, and it’s possible I might never go again even if she’s not here. I rarely see my former college classmates who don’t live in the area and usually if they come up for a class reunion it’s only one at a time.
However, since last winter I’ve been going to a reunion of former co-workers from my first health care employer. When all of us show up it’s 8 people strong and we share lunch. That’s pretty nice since all of us have known each other at least 35 years; ouch!
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I find the reunions with my ex colleagues quite stimulating as there are so many stories that come up that one did not know at the time of working together. The one that I attended last week produced some remarkable stories.
I’ve been to very few reunions in my life. I didn’t keep in touch with any of my schoolmates (I just wanted to get shot of my boarding school as fast as possible) and the only workmates I kept in touch with are from my penultimate job. We got together just recently (rather sadly) for the funeral of one of them. I’m impressed you have so many reunions – even though your ability to travel is now restricted.
I should have remembered to add funerals to the list of reasons for reunions. At my age, that is also happening at frequent intervals.
I’m not in the reunion mode at all… although I did go to my primary school reunion some years ago; interesting how the bullies had changed…some were actually speaking to me – as we were all now adults…
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