Blog du Wren

Bates 20 Year Reunion

Whenever it comes up (which is more often than you might think), I always encourage people to go to their school reunions. The idea is usually met with resistance or downright contempt. The reasons offered up are not invalid, but, in my opinion, outweighed by the positives (memories, networking, self-reflection, good food, and more.) In the end, however, I relent, knowing that we all gotta follow our hearts. When my college reunion rolled around, though, you better believe I was going to attend.

Bates College in Lewiston, Maine is not exactly on the way to many places I go, so it's been 10 years since I've been back to campus. I sometimes forget how beautiful it is, with so much brick, , history, and, of course, memories. Just walking around campus was worth the trip out east itself. "Hey, I used to live there", "The meal hall cereal bar!!!", and "This was where the frisbee golf course teed off from!" were bubbling through my head. I enjoyed the simple walk down memory lane almost more than anything else the whole weekend.

Of course the college went all out, from a to steel pan bands on

the quad to beer gardens, mimosa brunches, and winery dinners*. There were banners everywhere, plenty of photo ops with the , and golf cart shuttles to take you anywhere on campus you wanted to go*. And, as luck would have it, we had absolutely perfect weather. I hope Bates came away feeling like it was a successful weekend because they did a great job.

Obviously the other part of a reunion is reconnecting with classmates. Despite my encouragement, none of my core group of friends choose to make the trip (even though, in all cases except Horge, the distance and effort was considerably less). That left me mingling with people I knew in passing 20 years ago with the occasional shared memory, but no genuine excitement to reconnect. That said, however, even with less than close connections both back then and in between, everyone was super nice, engaging, and inclusive. They let me tell my "yes, I juggle for my job" and "just north of Seattle" stories and took them with a smile. And hearing about their lives, my peers from so long ago, was genuinely interesting as well—lots of professionals with families and kids*. Unfortunately, it turns out my former classmates haven't lost any of their enthusiasm for heavy drinking, so I turned in early rather than being able to enjoy more connecting and socialization, but so goes the life of a teetotaler, I guess.

Just below the surface, in almost all elements of my life still, are thoughts of Della. The last time I visited Bates was with her on our first big adventure as partners. And talking about the last 10 (or 20) years of my life is simply impossible without her being a part of every story. My friends that knew of the situation via facebook surprised me with unpromptedly sharing such genuine condolences and making me feel really supported, which meant more than I could even express. Having these thoughts of Della so close to the surface all weekend seemed to fit with the theme of reliving memories and I was happy to embrace that (albeit with sometimes less than dry eyes).

Another, and perhaps equally important for my desire to attend the reunion, was non-Bates Maine. I looked for jobs here after graduation because it is a place that very much agrees with me. I had time before and after my campus visit to soak up some Down East vibes from a ferry ride to Peaks Island to the requisite from a roadside stand. I was lucky to have good friends host and guide me and the vacation bit of the trip was a total success.

It's not everyday that a 20-year college reunion comes around. Not that there was much of a chance that I would have skipped it, and in hindsight, I'm really happy I didn't. Memories, perspective, new experiences, scratching that lobster itch—it was a successful weekend for sure. Perhaps keep that thought in mind next time a reunion opportunity presents itself to you.

Sunday June 12 2022

File under: travel, Maine

Toggle Comments (3)

comment?

on Sun 19th Jun, 2022 04:12 pm CDT Horge said:
I want names. Who was there that I'd know (or better said ought to know, but can't remember)?
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on Fri 01st Jul, 2022 03:00 pm CDT Wren said:
Horge, see if you can identify anyone. I don't think there was anyone you would have known.

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on Wed 13th Jul, 2022 03:41 pm CDT Horge said:
You're right. The only one I recognize is the dude in the Bates burgundy shirt
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