*COLLEGE REUNIONS AND ALL THAT…* February 27, 2026 <https://decipheringnews.wordpress.com/2026/02/27/college-reunions-and-all-that/> rchopra53 <https://decipheringnews.wordpress.com/author/rchopra53/>1 Comment <https://decipheringnews.wordpress.com/2026/02/27/college-reunions-and-all-that/#comments>
We graduated many a decade ago. Our college reunions have increased in frequency as the years have rolled on. And there are cogent reasons for that. Such events were not regular on our calendar in the decade or two after graduation. The rat race was truly on and we were scared of being left behind. In addition there was marriage, there were kids; in short there was too much going on in one’s life to think about spending a few days away from it all. The phrase, work life balance had not entered the lexicon yet. In our case the added burden was the absence of connectivity that social media offers today. The postal and telephone networks never really facilitated connecting with friends. And then came the third decade after graduation. It was the harbinger of change and of reconnection. For starters, positions in the rat race were emerging. Some of us were already accepting it, some were still fighting for an upscale and some had established clear leads. Kids had grown up and were beginning to be on their own. The first signs of emerging space in the emotional bandwidth that controls each one of us was emerging. When we parted after graduation, we were in our early twenties. There was wooly headed idealism and market dynamics had not affected our relations. Equations at college had been established more on lines of shared interests than on economic status and brand accessories. Nehruvian socialism ensured that whatever the economic differences, limited availability of economic symbols and brands papered over such gaps. The first reunions were not elaborate affairs but more in the nature of get together for a meal with spouse in tow. It was apparent that the last three decades had taken a toll. Changes in persona were a given, buffetted as we were by winds of change that struck us as we moved on paths destiny had chosen for us. The meal get togethers were more in the nature of sizing each other up and feeling our way forward. Old ties still beckoned but bonds were weakening in the face of our different paths. The bonhomie was in place though a little forced as we and our partners felt their way forward. The silver jubilee and ruby anniversary of graduation came and went with their associated celebrations and attendance was showing a definite spike. It was clear that bonds were being rekindled as emotional bandwidth loosened up more and more space. Kids were moving on and our positions in the rat race were becoming more categorically clear. Dramatic breakthroughs were becoming more impossible. In short we were becoming more comfortable in our skins. 2019 was a watershed moment in our reunion journey. We had secured our senior citizens status by a mile and emotional bandwidth was gradually giving way to an emotional vacuum of sorts. We were no longer bonding as of old. We were in fact moving beyond. We were now looking forward to such events. Spouses had started connecting with a heightened sense of confidence. There was so much to share as only they can and the size of the group was increasing. Stories were developing a continuity now. But what was even more heartening was the fact that more and more guys of the batch were putting up their hand to stand up and be counted to organize such events. And the support across the board was awesome. I am coming off one such event. We have had 5 reunions since 2019. Guys are now flying in from abroad to be able to participate. Decibel levels are astonishingly high. And to think the starting point was 5 years of togetherness in college. A lot of water has flown under the bridge since. Views diverged, financial levels varied, responsibilities came in thick and fast and reduced, kids took up 70mm space in our lives which has now receded. Politics has divided us. WA is a veritable war zone as divergent views slug it out, threatening a split every now and then. And yet come a call for a reunion proposal, gloves are back on, politics is off the radar, bonhomie resurfaced as of old, spouses become more active in participation and we revert to our back bencher roles. In short as the knees wobble more, Yeh Dil maange more… KR IRS 226 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZooHU8y%3DN1%2BzquY_D_pfmOjmgB9oqL%2BLnvpdJq8zrp47yw%40mail.gmail.com.
