I Know I Still Love You

TALKING TO MYSELF: 14 February 2012  The class reunion is Life’s Great Leveler.  Well, maybe not at the ten-year mark -- I’ll admit that one’s cutthroat.  But after the first couple of decades, it’s a mutual celebration of survival.  The very important person is one of the gang again.  The man whose life has been filled with disappointments is still quick witted and a delightful table companion.  The shy are emboldened to speak to the popular, who are so relieved to know that somebody still likes them that they confess they always felt shy in high school too.  Nobody has escaped pain in some form or another.  Compassion, not competition, is the order of the day.

 And class reunions can be funny.  One of my favorite stories came from my friend Richard after he attended a big number year (no need to be more specific) get-together for his high school graduating class.  As soon as he arrived at the party, a pretty woman came running up to him, threw her arms around him, and hugged him tightly.  While he was still reeling from her enthusiasm, she confessed, “I know I still love you -- but who are you?” 

 His old girlfriend, he later learned, had suffered a minor stroke that had impaired her memory, though not her affection.   

 Another friend (I’ll call her Innocent) has given me permission to share this story as long as all names are changed to protect the guilty (whom I will call Confused.)  During freshman year of college, Innocent had one, single date with Confused.  There was no spark between Innocent and Confused, and after a pleasant evening at the movies and a handshake at the front door of the dorm, they returned to their “just friends” status. 

 At their 25th Class Reunion, however, Confused reminded Innocent of that date and alluded to the sizzling chemistry that had existed between them.  She said his memory was inconsistent with hers, but he was not dissuaded.  She let it drop for the sake of the evening’s civility.

 But at the 30th reunion, Confused brought up their hot date again, and expanded it into multiple dates.  Innocent was flabbergasted.    The more she protested, however, the more adamant he became that they had once been an item.  When she insisted her memory failed her, and pressed him for details, he mentioned specific events such as fraternity formal dances they’d attended together and when.

 At the 35th gathering, Innocent was ready for him.  “Listen here,” she said. “Even allowing for transient amnesia on my part, the time frame you give for our so-called romance was the same year I was pinned to the president of your fraternity.  Do you honestly think that you would have been squiring me to fraternity functions right under his nose?”

 Without a moment’s hesitation, Confused dropped his eyes, and said, “No, you’re right, it wasn’t you.”  Then, he went on in a wistful tone.

“But it could have been.”

 “It could have been” is a pretty good theme for any class reunion, I suppose.  But I think I’ll vote for “I know I still love you.”   Whoever you are.

For My Valentine Ernie 

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