WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE CLASS OF '68?

Two weeks ago five of the 20 graduates from our high school seminary class of 1968 got together for a mini-reunion. One of our classmates had come from his home in Upstate New York for a visit to the family homestead in Oregon. He does this every two years or so and we manage to get a small group of us together for dinner and a few beers. But not this time. We met for lunch instead. The late nights just don't work for us old men anymore.

Our gathering place was the Painters Hall Cafe on the grounds of the Pringle Creek Community in Salem.  It was a warm spring day and lunch on the deck was delightful.  We did the usual reminiscing, toasting of departed brethren and sharing of old man ailment stories while eating wood-fired pizza and sipping hibuscus tea and lemonade.  The company and the food were worth the trip from Portland and Eugene.  (And yes, this is a shameless plug for the Pringle Creek Community. http://www.pringlecreek.com/ Our classmate from New York is related to the developer of Pringle Creek. Just helping out the older brother as best we can.)

After two hours of lunch and reminiscing we were heading over to the family homestead for a tour. But first, being old men, a couple of us needed to take a tour of the facilities inside Painters Hall.  Coming out of the hall into the sunshine, we stepped onto the deck and I noticed two gentlemen down by the parked cars.  My first thought was, "There's a couple of old guys. They could be with us."  Then I realized, "They are with us!"

Suddenly I was very aware of what happened to the class of  '68.  We got old.  Sixty-five and Social Security are mere months away.  

With all due respect to Pogo, "We Have Met The Enemy and He Is Us".  In a few years, the class of '68 will be 68!