A Time of Freedom

A Time of Freedom?

Pat DeCaen says - “You know its funny. I worked with people for over 30yrs, and now that I have left them, there's nothing, no lasting friendships, or desire to see each other or stay in touch. Yet with folks I spent 4”… High School… “years with, (getting together) means everything to me. I wonder why?”

If you have any points of view on this send me an e-mail mcconnell.leslie@videotron.ca.



In High School, we were emerging as human "beings” on every level - an adventure!

Prior to High School, we explored ‘first gear’ –childhood- until we were "ready".

In High School there were so many facets of adolescent life, fresh and new, ‘awareness’ itself, was in an awakening state, especially for those historic times.

Some characters who played parts in that communal dream, will forever have –a special place in our collective memories. Some characters were 'cast' as good, while some evil - some puppets and some shadows,- youthful exagerations all- and larger than life.

Later, the 'spell' was broken and High School gave way to the‘work place’, the exchanging of innocence, energy, time and life - for money to survive.

For many, "work" became like slow death; dulling the senses; performing functions one otherwise wouldn't normally choose. So, people ecountered in the "every day" work phase of survival and career, were not part of the magic of our emergence in the High School drama sequence . They were part of the mind numbing day to day routine.

However the work place has not been like that for everyone, just as High School was not all hearts and flowers, academic achievement, adventure or romance for others.

But the folks from that 4 year High School period- as Pat refers to it, that specific cast of characters; faces frozen in our own past (dream or nightmare), are indeed, for many, imbued with almost mythical significance, for they represent to us, a time of our own freedom; a time before having to choose -'a path' .

This is what makes going to a reunion a little RISKY.
What do they look like now?
What if the adolecent villains have "grown up" into - ordinary nice people? Will I have to "like" them now?
What if the Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses have all become like me and you with all our normal imperfections? Will that break the spell cast by memory?

Will our peers, seeing who and what we are now, replace their memories of how we looked and what our potential was back then? Will they judge us? Will I judge them?

Perhaps a little -until we return to our own mirrors, weight scales, insomnia, job routine, Lipitor, Zoloft, familyand fate. Ultimately, we are our own worst judges. Anyone who would judge you - has not attained the wisdom to recognize their own swine image before the pearl of life.

And what about those whose self percepetions are inextricably bound with their greatest moment of High School achievement- but nothing beyond that time, - those caught in the sticky filiment of Time's web, now, only capable of looking back to what was, rather than what still can be?

Would it not take a tremendous amount of courage to face us today- 'as they are' now?- For their worst enemy might be having to admit to themselves the life does go on.

The RISK AND THE CHALLENGE.. is- that we ALL allow the pretty damsels, geniuses, athletic heros, comedians and villains -from that magical past, to escape from behind the curtains onto the stage of 'today' to come clean for who they are now, to leave their adolescent character masks behind -if but for a moment.

Let us celebrate who we have become, as we are today- in the present and continue to move forward, ever becoming more than what we are, and not simply as shadows of an adolescent albeit lively past.
Seize the day!