I pulled into the South Shore Health and Racquet Club this morning, intent on getting my daily dose of exercise out of the way as quickly as possible. As I climbed from my car, a cheery voice said, “Hi.”
I looked up to find three women standing by the car next to mine. I’d casually noticed them as I pulled in, but had no intention of socializing. But when someone addresses you, even with a casual “Hi,” it’s rude not to return the greeting. So I did. The woman who’d spoken initially walked toward me, holding a camera in her hand.
“We’re wondering if you would take a picture of the three of us,” she said. I looked from woman to woman to get a clue as to why they wanted a photo in the middle of the parking lot. They appeared to be a little older than I, all neatly coifed and smiling.
The woman continued: “We’re here for our fiftieth reunion at Benton Harbor High School. We all graduated together in 1957.” She asked my name, and I gave it. In return she introduced herself and the other two women. Between the reunion’s organized events, they’d come to play tennis, although only one of them had played regularly since graduation. She sported the tennis rackets on her arm. The other two were just along for the ride.
The three of them squeezed together to fit in the camera’s viewfinder. I took my time, and managed not only one picture but two in hopes that at least one showed them all at their best. As they posed, I asked if they’d kept in touch since high school. Oh, yes, was the answer; every five years they get together.
My duties done, I went on my way, but I felt honored to be part of a fifty year celebration. My own fiftieth high school reunion is a mere four years off, and I honestly can’t say I’ve done a good job of keeping up with anybody from Mount St. Mary’s Academy. I’ll have to work hard between now and 2011 to be included in a group photo, even if it’s only one of three women laughing in a parking lot.
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