Hard to believe but it was 30 years ago that I graduated from Ann Arbor Huron High School. It is incredible to me that it could possibly have been that long ago. When I think about all of the events and different accomplishments over that time, it makes sense….undergrad, loss of grandparents, working in the dorms, becoming employed, meeting my partner, grad school, having kids, 3 houses, more kids, many cars, trips to various places, loss of a parent, kids graduating from high school and now myself going back to school in the fall. A lot has happened in those 30 years but in some ways, high school seems like it was yesterday!

1980 was the year that the US hockey team beat the USSR at Lake Placid. The US team was made up entirely of college kids. 1980 was the year that Mount St. Helens erupted. Jesse Owens died and CNN went on the air for the first time. The Iran Hostage Crisis was in full swing.The summer Olympic games were held in Moscow, USSR and because Russia had invaded Afghanistan, 65 countries boycotted the games. Ronald Reagan was elected President over Jimmy Carter, the Dallas Episode of “Who Shot J.R.?” aired, John Lennon was assassinated, and GM reported losses for the first time since 1921. The Titanic was found but more importantly, the Sugarhill Gang put out the album, “Rapper’s Delight” which was noted by some to be the first rap album that was a huge success.

Hillstreet Blues won the Emmy for best drama and Christopher Cross took all of the Grammy awards for best album, song, record and new artist!

Also, the movie, Friday the Thirteenth, debuted. It came out on Friday, June 13th, the last day of school. We borrowed a friend’s van, all piled in and went to the old Scio Drive In (that may or not be the correct name) which is now the site of Showcase Cinema.

I had decent memories of 1980 and actually, much of high school. I wasn’t planning on going to my reunion but not because it brought back terrible memories or anything like that. I haven’t attended any reunions since graduating in 1980, mainly because the reunion always conflicted with summer plans. And because I haven’t gone to any in the past, I wouldn’t have gone this year if it hadn’t been for some friends that pushed me into going. It was actually kinda neat that this group of friends are from the church I attend and we were all in the same class in high school. I wouldn’t say any of us were particularly close when we were in school but have come to know one another more in a different setting. I feel very lucky to have reconnected with them.

So it was with some trepidation that I went. My partner was very gracious as I know what kinda evening that can be when every one but you is reminiscing about the good ole days. Luckily she had some friends there as well so it wasn’t totally painful.

The setting was great, a casual affair. The organizers had done a great job printing off name tags with our senior picture on it so that we could be identified a little easier. It was definitely harder for me to pull names out of thin air as I had not seen most of these people for 30 years. Music was from the 70's and got some up on the dance floor.

As the evening wore on, people fell into a comfortable place. Pictures were taken, connections were made and it was fun to see that even though so much had changed, much hadn’t. Karen had her infectious laugh, and Scott with his big smile. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to reconnect. Maybe it was to tap into a time that was simpler. A time that was carefree and less stressful although most wouldn’t have thought so then. We see that it was in hindsight.

As I looked around the room, I thought that each one of these people has a story and I would have loved to have known them all. The last thirty years have surely dealt some with a bad hand, some have been more lucky and sadly, some are no longer with us to tell us their tale. It was those ‘In Memoriam’ that I thought about the most. One such person was a girl that had lived down the street from me. It makes us aware of our own mortality more than we wish.

The night was a success and I am glad my friends were there to give me a push to go. I would love to go again. I am sorry that I haven’t gone all along the way. I wish that maybe with the next one, even more of my former classmates will show up and get passed whatever is keeping them back. I would love to see Sue, Elease, Tom and John. We all wondered about Amy, Linley, Mitch and Linda. Know that if you weren’t there, everyone would have been happy to see you. We have all grown up and I think we are an ever nicer bunch after those 30 years.

A big thanks to all of those who put not just this evening together but the whole weekend, making it special for those coming in from out of town. I’m sure it was a lot of work but totally worth it. Thank you!

Theresa Bassett, class of '80, is parent to six children. Passions include kids, adoption, transracial and alternative families. Reach her at theresabassett1@hotmail.com