25 and Counting

I just returned from my 25th college reunion (yes, for those of you who recognize the large banner in the background, I did my undergrad at Harvard) and it was eye-opening.

I can think of few other gatherings where everyone is basically of the same age and shares a powerful common experience.  I had forgotten the sense of kinship and community this can create, and while we may have been clique-y during our college years, the passage of time and a certain maturity have softened the edges.

Harvard puts on a great show for 25th reunions – 3 1/2 full days of barbecues, panels, cocktail parties, memorial services, fancy dinners at the Boston Pops (a concert of which I conducted a section – I might post about that sometime.)  But what was revelatory for me was to reconnect with those classmates of whom I’d largely lost touch, and to see the trajectory of a group of people with so many gifts.

I think events like this force introspection – where have I come since my college years?  Am I where I thought I’d be?  Am I where I want to be?  If not, what do I do about it in the next 25 years?

I’m still deep in the processing portion of this, and maybe I’ll formulate some answers for myself over the coming weeks/months.  But for now, I think it’s incredibly helpful for me (and for anyone!) to reflect on the moment I’m in, and everything that has brought me here, and where I could go.  It’s a way of stepping out of everyday routines, both actual and those rituals of mind that we all have, to take stock of the life I’ve created and to see where there are opportunities for growth and joy.  Because, in the end, aren’t growth and joy the best indicators of a life well lived?