This October will mark my 49th anniversary of
graduating college. Knox College (Galesburg ,
Ill.
That is the question. And the answer is probably not. For
two reasons:
-Cannot possibly afford to go; the meals are $25 to $50
each, hotels will be $75 to $125 per night, gasoline will run at least a full
tank at $70, and there are three nights of lodging involved.
-I wonder what attending as a gay couple would be either
unique or welcomed? I really don’t worry too much about that, it is a reality
of our times, and about time!
The expense part is more real than theoretical. Retired and
living on social security does not allow the luxury of even this modest travel
expense. And that after a lifetime of good and productive work in meaningful
careers in non-profit organizations. I do not bemoan any of that work
experience. It was all good and very rewarding. Even highly profitable some
years, and good to pay for college of both kids.
My retirement situation was marred by divorce, then self
employment (although successful) health matters torpedoed that business and
forced me into retirement and living off of investments for a while until
social security and Medicare kicked in.
We still live comfortably, but without the extras of
travel. We miss that. New
Mexico and Arizona
beckon. Montana and Wyoming as well. Then there is a tour of New England we’d like to do sometime. All three of these
trip ideas are on our to-do list. Not likely to become reality but it is fun
dreaming!
Getting back to college homecoming – it is a time to
remember and re-meet classmates from nearly five decades past. That alone would
be fun. And sobering.
I don’t recall ever having attended a homecoming in the
past. So I am unable to know what it must be like. Even so it is 49 years
later. So many of our classmates are deceased. Many more are too ill to attend.
Still others of us are in a pinch of history that makes affordability an issue.
The middle class has shrunk. Although our classmates had big dreams of high
paying jobs in industry, many of us went on with education and dreams of
improving the nation and global community. And we did do that. At least we did
our part. Peace Corps, international relations, church careers, social work,
and non-profit organizations large and small. Teaching, too, so many teachers
and researchers.
Thinking back to the early 1960’s I remember discussing with
other Knoxites how we should and could make the world a better place. So many
of us did just that. At least we worked at it consciously.
Alas the efforts did not pay off as we expected. We lived
full, rich lives no doubt. But the world is now in a large pickle. Wars abound.
Criminality among third world nations are full-time careers. Human trafficking,
rampant disease, poor drinking water, poverty beyond comprehension, and human
suffering in every corner of the globe including the USA . We’d like to deny the latter,
but it is here. It is among us in this the richest nation on earth. A stunning
reality.
I sense the frustration of current generations, the youth
that were are kids, and the youth that are now in college and entering the
workforce with new degrees and commitment to begin their lives as adults. The
challenges today are as ever daunting as they were for us nearly 50 years ago.
Will this always be thus? Should it be? I suppose each
generation needs to earn its own merit by struggling with the imponderables, but
it would be nice to know that the world actually is getting better year after
year.
The reality tells us otherwise. Why is that?
Why?
August 11, 2014
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