Graduates, take a bow and make a vow to reunite

Last year, I invited my village of friends, many of whom are actual long-ago classmates of mine, to give sage advice to the new crop of high school graduates and it was an eclectic array of perspectives. One friend, Mary, said this, “Look around this room, across the aisle, in front of you, behind you, next to you. Be grateful for these people because this group, these friends, and foes, will be the ones you meet on the street to share a memory, will see at church, at reunions, on Facebook (or whatever social media becomes 30 years from now) and they are your people … the ones who ground you and remind you of your roots … nothing grows strong without healthy roots.”

No truer words could be said, which brings me to the subject of high school reunions. Most people have a love/hate feeling about reuniting a decade or three or four after you’ve said goodbye at graduation time. As someone who’s attended my tenth, 20th, 30th, 40th, 45th and 51st, here’s my perspective. The 10th and 20th are still a little high school-ish, with people wanting their classmates to see them as they were or an improved version of their high school selves. By the 30th and beyond, most are empty nesters and decidedly more comfortable in their own skin. A bonus if you attend your reunions is meeting and getting to know people you went to school with but maybe didn’t get to know well or at all.

What I know without a doubt is that Coeur d’Alene High School Class of '70 are my people, reminding me of my roots and sharing a history. I’m sure I didn’t really appreciate the value of those friendships at our 10th reunion or 20th.

So my advice to graduates is to make a vow to attend your reunions, whether you still live in town or life takes you out of the area. Stay connected and make new connections with old friends

These are your people.

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For vintage Vikings who attended Coeur d’Alene High School in 1973 or earlier, the CHS All Class Reunion is coming July 29, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Hayden Lake Eagles. CHS Class of 1968 is hosting for all who’ve been 50 or more years out of high school.

Don’t wait to be contacted, jump on in and contact one of the organizers for more info or to sign up. Gary Everson, info@customden.com, Greg Hart, gdhart4@gmail.com, Pat Turnbull Kovatch, patakovatch@hotmail.com, Kathy Moore LaTourrette, latourrette59@gmail.com, Melody Murphy Martin, martinkmelody@netscape.net, or Marcia Nobis Hall, mdhall4184@gmail.com.

Also check out CHS All Class Reunion 2023 on Facebook.

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Postscript: To the parents whose graduating seniors are their youngest children, it’s not an empty nest until they’ve taken all of their belongings out of the basement.

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Happy Main Street last day of May birthdays today to Ron Shoop, Trey Barker III, Cindy Wood, Craig Singer, Lindsay Cantrell, Peggy Suenkel, Diane Huber and Meredith Close. On the first day of June, Sandy Shopbell, Dave Stutzke, Shannon Coles, Debbie Costa, Patrick Booth, Drake Foster, Mason Alexander, Tresa Brown and Vicki White will celebrate. On Friday, Al Williams, Mike and Mitch Alexander, Nancy Mueller, Brenda Walters, Irene Seidler and Nels Jensen whoop it up. On Saturday, JoAnn Nelson, Mitch Heid, Scott Osburn, Matthew Huthinson, Kathy Larson, Devin Weeks, Sharon Timmons, Susan Mensching and Matt Boseth hope for sunshiny celebrations. On Sunday, Natalie Wyant, Lynsie Odd, Jay Sadler, Kirk Dady and Jessica Downs Anundson have their cake and eat it, too. Alec Steele, Evelyn Bevacqua Howe, Harold Appleby, Jr., Joel Semanko, Helen Elder, Dale Rounsville, Ron Hodge and JaNee Newby take another trip around the sun Monday. Wendy English, Don Bradway, Dallas Dixon, DeDe Tondee and Kim Normand put on their party hats June 6.

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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.