A Step Back In Time...

Last Saturday night my older brother and I had the absolute pleasure of attending a school reunion, organised by a group of fellow students in a popular Melbourne hotel, which had been completely renovated since last we visited many years ago.

Our quaint high school was quite small, only carrying just over 300 students at one time, and eventually closed in December of 1992, due to diminishing attendances. A few years later, it was then demolished to make way for new housing estates. A sad day as a significant chapter of our youth came to a close.

The reunion welcomed all past students and teachers to attend and our excitement grew as my brother and I drove the two hour trip to the venue. Passing the time, we reminisced and wondered whose faces we would recognise and who we thought would show.

It was a brilliant evening had by all. I was extremely disappointed not one person from my year presented, however there were many people I knew and recognised, who were a delight to reconnect with. Most from my brother's year were there, and as I was the 'little sister' back in the day, I remembered them well, as they did me.

Looking across the surprisingly large group of people, I saw familiar teenage faces, now with laugh lines and greying hair, or in some cases no hair at all! However, the smiles and the glistening pairs of eyes were just the same as ever before. Young at heart and conversing of old school days seemed to transform everyone back to the classroom of familiar closeness, cheekiness and laughter, and many amusing secrets were unveiled about each other. Where had the time gone….forty years had slipped unknowingly by.

It was interesting to hear each other's life journeys thus far. Everyone had an amazing, unique story to share, filled with inevitable lows and highs. Amongst the eccentric, creative, successful, famous, humble and high achieving lives, I was saddened to hear there were absent students, who were struggling with on-going mental health issues and/or drug addictions. Some were also fighting a terminal illness and a few had already lost their battles. Life can be so raw and cruel….

The reunion was a wonderful experience and the general consensus seemed like only yesterday that we had all seen and known each other. It was also the happiest I'd seen my brother in a long time, and that made me smile.

No doubt as the years continue, another reunion will pop up that we will happily attend – if we are lucky enough to still be around. It was a lovely, memorable evening stepping back in time with beautiful souls….