July 2017

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go back to my hometown, Sumner, IA, and attend an all 80’s Class Reunion. This was a decade of classes of which my class, the Class of ’84, fell almost in the middle. Being from a small town you know everyone who’s 5-10 years younger and older than you. Needless to say, I was very excited to go “home” and be reconnected with people I hadn’t seen for a long time (some since I graduated from high school)!
This wasn’t a weekend of “who’s more successful”, “who has the nicest car”, or a popularity contest. Instead, it was a time to reminisce and go back 30-40 years to simply relive those great memories of being a kid with no electronics, no boundaries, and all the freedom in the world. It was a time to really reflect on how fast time flies by and a lesson to truly appreciate each moment in every day. It was a time to thank teachers and faculty for being the mentors they were and for the words of encouragement they gave you along the way. It doesn’t seem possible that 33 years have come and gone since I graduated, but it was amazing how vivid those memories remain in my mind.
I write this simply to remind all of us that life is very short. Enjoy it to the fullest. we often find ourselves caught up in work, meeting deadlines, and the little things that at the end of the day – really don’t matter. I write this to encourage each of you to attend your class reunions and to reconnect with those you haven’t seen for awhile. Do as I did and relive life for a moment!