When a few of us mooted the idea of our class reunion about a year ago, the reaction of some of our batch mates was surprisingly, discouraging. Unfazed by the initial, unenthusiastic response, we pressed ahead and even finalised a date, confident that many would pile on as D-day neared.
As the luck would have it, the recent reunion was quite a success, belying expectations and bringing together 50 of us (out of 90) three decades after we left the portals of our venerable college. Indeed, the attendance for the reunion was better than what it used to be on certain days in college! Perhaps, it was the college’s vantage location on Brigade road that saw students more outside than inside the campus.
It seemed strange that we left college so long ago. How time had flown and so much had changed; not just inside the campus and its surroundings but also our looks, our hairlines and waistlines. But evidently, one thing that hadn’t changed was our young-in-spirit attitude as we 50-year-olds easily morphed into 20-year-olds. Donning the specially made t-shirts, we caught up with one another, recalled the good old days and clicked scores of photographs as an easy camaraderie followed over drinks and dinner. Many of us were seeing each other after 30 years.
Memories tumbled over one another as we reminisced the five glorious years we spent in college. Those defining years in our lives were also the best in our academic life when we juggled between studies and extra-curricular activities, gaining an all-round education that stood us in good stead later. The presence of four retired lecturers who taught us was truly gratifying and they, along with our families, enriched the reunion experience for all of us. Equally, we were also saddened to learn of the untimely demise of four of our batch mates and some of our lecturers and principals.
As most of us gradually get over the euphoria of the grand reunion, one wonders what exactly brought so many of us together for a day from different corners of the world. Was it nostalgia to celebrate our shared past and reinforcing our collective identity as Josephites? Was it to feel proud of our past, present and future of our college? Or was it to give back to the alma mater by contributing generously to the poor students’ fund?
The answer is not easy to find but it all goes to show that the bonds of friendship forged during those five wonderful years have remained firm and everyone cherishes the value of our class mates, our lecturers and our college. And hopefully, that will remain an integral part of our lives.
