ASSINIBOIA - 1982. The year I graduated from ACHS. The memories still feel like yesterday. Our class continues to gather, enjoying organized reunion events in all forms for 10, 25, 30, even an ultimate 50th birthday bash. Our sad gathering that took place at our friend, Rob Greensides’ memorial was another reunion, so to speak, albeit not the event we had hoped or planned for.
What is amazing about this group is even though time has changed appearances, our memories enable us to pick up where we left off . We aim to not count the years but rather count the memories.
The old gang from Kasper Crescent quickly talk about our infamous and infinite games of kick the can and remembering exactly whose yard to ensure you did not hide in or pass through. Sadly, many of our kids never got to experience this simple social game.
Everyone can still recite lines from Chaucer we memorized in Grade 12 English, although we have a new appreciation for the writer’s work. Many of us, myself included, remain thankful, and utilize often, the simple phrase Mr. Cowan taught us that is a good mantra for life – Carpe diem (seize the day).
While our parents may have cringed at our repetitive playing of our cassette tapes of “Another one bites the dust” by Queen or “Let the Good Times roll” by The Cars, we are now laughing at, or enjoying, our kids listening to music from names like Imagine Dragons or Lady Gaga.
We waited eagerly each week for the next episode of a miniseries like “Roots” to come on one of two channels on our TV, our kids use their PVR’s to record hundreds of channels of choice.
We were excited to graduate, get a post secondary degree or hit the work force as average incomes were about $22,000 a year. Who could even afford to live on this now?
When we graduated, Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada. Today, our kids are either enjoying or abhorring his son as Canada’s current Prime Minister.
Cell phones were nonexistent, and we laugh often at our get together that we are thankful instant pictures and videos were not part of our growing up.
The Class of ’82 graduated and went on to become teachers, serve in the CAF, engineers, media people and with Rob, see his success from the deep commitment to many parts of the community he lived in.
We have mourned the loss of classmates over the years, and as we edge to our sixties, we recognize that there will be others in the years ahead. This is why we commit to continuing connection either through our class Facebook page, text messages or attending reunions no matter how big or small.
Some of us still enjoy our parents around while others navigate their lives without them. The things that we felt annoyed by with our parents as we were in high school are the things we appreciate about them today. Funny how that full circle works.
We urge and encourage our kids to not make the same mistakes we did, although many of us admit that kids seem wiser today than we were. The chances they take are on life’s adventures, travel, and job changes.
When we gather, we hug, we smile, we laugh and best of all, we remember. We remember the simpler days of the 80s where we had a lifetime ahead of us to experience all that life had to offer. We graduated in August because you had to get your transcript back from Sask. Education to ensure you qualified to graduate. A far different concept than May and June graduations our kids experience today.
Teachers that we lived to antagonize in high school are now the same people we want to have a quick visit or coffee with when we return “home” to Assiniboia.
The downtown we thought was boring compared to the big city are now the businesses we yearn to visit when we come “home.” How lucky are we that the Assiniboia Bakery still offers the product we loved?
For old times sake, you take your spouse or family on that memorable Main Street drive from one end to the other and take that methodical turn around in the courthouse parking lot to drive back down again. We used to do this as a way to connect with our friends as there was no option of cell phones, snapchat or texting back then.
As you revel in the memories of places and spaces that used to be in Assiniboia when you graduated, we also admire the many advances the community has made in its evolving role in southern Saskatchewan.
A day trip to Scobey is no longer an option unless you have a passport as long gone are the days of taking a quick drive across the line to enjoy a sloe gin fizz at Banjo’s and bringing a 12 pack of Coors before it was available in Canada.
What I have realized is that we have all taken different paths in life but no matter where we go or where we end up, we take a little of each other everywhere. I think of our dear friend Rob when I quote Frederick Buechner who said, “When you remember me, it means that you have carried something of who I am with you, that I have left some mark of who I am on who you are. It means that you can summon me back to your mind, even though countless years and miles may stand between us.”
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave and impossible to forget. Cheers to 40 years Class of ‘82.
