Silver

On Saturday, our high school batch will be celebrating our 25th year since our graduation in 1988. I look forward to attending my first high school homecoming since 1989, when I was a freshman at UP Diliman and my barkada and I agreed to come to our high school just to meet up. We didn't know then that it would be our last reunion until now, 24 years later. I don't have high expectations for the homecoming as our batch really started serious planning and mobilization for this only a few months earlier, unlike similar batches from other schools who launched all sorts of activities like marathons, movie premieres, golf tourneys and the like for fundraising. I myself am guilty for not participating in the planning and other activities leading to the reunion for various reasons.

I don't expect my barkada to be there. Among my closest friends in high school, only one will likely be attending the homecoming. I say likely because it is still uncertain despite our recent exchange of messages on Facebook. Another friend will most likely skip the reunion as he might be expecting himself to be the subject of some japes or taunts, as he was back in high school, which was mostly because of his religion and which I think was unfair. 

It will not be my most recent visit to Lourdes Mandaluyong. Only last October, I was at our alma mater to give a short talk to 3rd year high school students about possible careers in Engineering. I agreed to doing to career talk in part because I was curious about what the school looked like from the inside after all these years, when I only had glimpses of the school exterior when passing through Shaw Boulevard or San Miguel Avenue. The career talk I will write about later as my opinions on that topic deserves more than just mere mention here.

The latin words that is on the seal of Lourdes School is said to be the favorite greeting of St. Francis of Assisi

I hear that Silver Jubilees are a big thing with many if not most schools. The Clairvoyant is already involved in their own school's homecoming preparations next year when their batch is celebrating their 25 years. I'm not sure if what our batch did for this year's homecoming would be enough but maybe it's the spirit that matters and all the other batches who will be there tomorrow will be there to enjoy each other's fellowship.

As I write this, I am listening to a radio ad announcing the homecoming over a popular FM radio station where a batchmate is working (I hear he's an exec there.). Silver anniversaries are once in a lifetime and I think it would be a great idea to meet up with friends and acquaintances from way back. In a way, we share similar experiences from 4 years and yet a lot has changed since then especially as each one of us have probably been influenced by college life as well as our work environments. The homecoming tomorrow might also be the last opportunity to see old buddies in high school, knowing it is uncertain what happens to each one of us after the reunion. That, as they say, is life.

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