ALASKA OR BUST

I have been trying to write something profound for the blog for awhile with out success so here goes a bit off the top of my head. While this is essentially for me, I think this is also for those of you who are sitting on the fence regarding attending the reunion. I am sure there is even a smaller number of you who remember me and perhaps you may be interested in renewing or starting a friendship at the event. I feel this reunion is going to be a memorable event and I want to encourage you to attend with the hope that it can put high school experience in a better light, making your future experiences that much brighter. I have had virtually no contact with classmates since high school .Probably as some other classmates may feel, my dominant memories of my early years in New Britain and finally in high school were not positive. As years have passed my own sense of self and my self image has grown/improved. I have come to understand that the lonely times in high school were my own responsibility. Heck, we were all only children with varying levels of maturity. The years have allowed me to see that what I thought were superficial friendships and spectator-only involvement in classes, plays, athletic events provided a solid foundation for future learning. I thank all of my classmates now for what you gave me by just being yourselves. My life experience since high school have been blessings. Not always great, many truly sucked actually, but they have led to me being happy with who I am. I hope the same for all of you. I want to assure those of you still having hard times that contentment is possible. For those of you who don't read classmates.com, I immediately went to Alaska after high school, worked on Dall Sheep, Grizzlies, Caribou etc in many beautiful places. I even sued the federal government and won (sex discrimination). I homesteaded in the wilderness 100 miles from the closest road, earned a terminal degree, grew in a loving relationship, adopted a child and built a home. I am proud to say that our child just finished in the top of his class in math. Last night during my son's graduation party we watched sea lions, humpback and killer whales go by in the evening sun. I found that what Emerson wrote about thinking you can or can't making your reality is right on. The reason I mention all of this is to share, hoping we will all do the same at the reunion. One thing I learned in bush Alaska is something that many of you probably already knew in high school. It is the importance of sharing experiences. Subsistence living can be tough with dying a real likelihood all too often. Sharing experiences is a great way to avoid future dangers and creates abond between people that is truly valuable and forever. Here are some of my good memories from High School which I hope some of you remember. Ms. Grant was truly the most inspiring teacher I have ever had. She believed in each of us and the potential of good in the human spirit. I liked other teachers but no one gave me the energy of knowing that there is a "good" that we can all reach for. I have kept in contact with her very sporadically and most recently found she is still teaching high school in Seattle , still inspiring kids. A life well lived . I think of all my fishing/hunting buddies and the good times we shared close to what I know is our fundamental connection to the world around us. I think about the young women who sat next to me in 10th grade English and 11th grade geometry . You reached out and made me feel I was worthy and liked. I apologize for not reciprocating more and want you to know your friendliness eventually enabled me to develop an awesome and lifetime relationship with my soulmate Sylvia who unfortunately won't be able to attend our 40th reunion. I think about the friends I had in scouting and the laughter/learning/values and much more we shared in a safe environment. To close, what hopefully has not been too long for the blog, I want to promise you I will listen to your stories of your kids at the reunion. Please allow me to tell you one of my own . We have 108 stairs leading from our parking area to our house. They keep us in shape and also give one's mind time to wander. A few years ago my son and I were walking up them and I was fretting about a work situation which I did all too much back then. He obviously had enough, stopped me and said, " Don't look at the stair behind you or the stair in front of you, just the stair you are on. Don't think about anything but what you can see from that stair. Is everything not perfect?" I saw the light in his face and knew it was in all of us. Looking forward to seeing the light in your faces at the reunion. Always wishing you the best, bob piorkowski