Sensitivity

The small touches in life is what makes you stop and take notice, learn about intimacy
1. someone took my dishes away when my hands were full
2. somoene helped me clean the floors when i shattered a bottle of juice
3. someone gave me a piece of fruit for lunch without me asking for it
4. someone shared a story from their childhood with me
5. someone saved two pieces of candy for me

Evening Dinner chez Dalia

Dalia’s house is found in the old district of University Heights near downtown San Diego. She and her husband bought the house to live and raise their family. The front courtyard provided a beautiful view of outlying area below; tables were setup for a catered dinner. I received my name tag, and signed in my name, address and email address. We were also given a CD of nostalgic 80's music.hahaha. The women were dressed up in gowns, with makeup and accessories. I felt like I was at a high society function. However with name tags, the faces became more familiar. We had a professional photographer take our pictures. I greeted and chatted with different women, found our old yearbook, and compared how we have changed from the 80s puffy hairstyles to the new chic 21st century look. We were asked to make a page for our new scrapbook, answering questions such as: list some activities since high school, memories of OLP and its values that were instilled in you, the dreams you still hope to accomplish. After a few beers and a glass of wine, it was difficult for me to be coherent for this task. We prayed before dinner and had a moment of silence for those not at the reunion and one persons death. As we settled into dinner, I would circulate and sit between 4 different tables, listening and taking part in the conversation. The ongoing queue of questions: how are YOU, are you married, any kids, what did you do after you graduated, and where are you living now? The cheerleaders were accomplished with masters and teaching. The down-to-earth women who ran our class are now leaders and integral part of their local community and political scene. The quiet ones are teachers, moviemakers, nurses, scientists, doctors and business entrepreneur. Some had in-vitro fertilization to conceive, others had twins, one found out she couldn’t have kids, and two are starting a family carrying a child, due in Oct or Nov. We had cake and cookies for dessert, followed by Shannon’s famous soliloquy sonnet, rehashing our past and comparing it to our present “the girls of when.” We were once girls who were not legal to drink, who waited to lose to our virginity (even the cheerleaders), who acted silly and serious, who thought the world was our oyster (still do), who felt our innocent youth, now give way to women with families, lost love, tort cases, and careers, we have found our lives both rewarding and challenging, all awhile knowing "defeat" and "giving up" were not a part of our vocabulary. We listened, we cried, we cheered and raised our glasses to the women of today.