I am sometimes reminded that I am not nearly as young as I once was. That was once again brought to my attention last weekend. I had my 45th reunion with the Class of 1978 from Taylor County High School. I was speaking with a few of my classmates and we all felt that, at times, it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long ago. At other times, our joints tell us it has definitely been a few years since we could easily maneuver around a dance floor.
We had a “memorial table” set up with names and pictures of classmates who have passed on. Some of these I was aware of, other names and photos took me by surprise. I was once again hit with the thought that, at some point, we will all find ourselves on that “memorial table.”
Our class song was the southern rock anthem, “Freebird,” by the Jacksonville-based group Lynyrd Skynyrd. Every time we have a reunion, that song is what culminates the evening. This past Saturday, as the song began and we all linked arms and sang along, I had a thought. Our joints may be 60-plus years old and feeling it. But our hearts still beat with a 17-year old enthusiasm. There is a loving bond that seems to be even stronger than it was 45 years ago. Perhaps that’s because of the growing list of names on that memorial table. Perhaps it is because of the knowledge that we will all be on that memorial table. There is precious little time for any of us to not “fly high Freebird.”
As you make your way here on the “sunny side,” I hope that you will allow yourself to get on the dance floor, even if your joints insist on it being a short visit.