We were meeting the alumni of a co-educational school in Bangalore after a gap of 50 years. The excitement was visible. It all started when four enthusiastic classmates of the 1972 batch created a WhatsApp group called “School Mates” and decided to grow it gradually. We didn’t even know what message to post. In the 1970s, we boys and girls were too timid to have much to do with each other, forgetting the way today’s generation interacts.
In the beginning, bringing our schoolmates together was a very difficult task. They were difficult to trace after such a long time, but gradually the group grew, at first very slowly then rapidly and rapidly to over 20 members.
Slowly, the post aroused the desire to have a Zoom meeting. After two or three virtual meetings, everyone deemed it necessary to meet in person, most of us were naturally curious as to how the ravages of time had affected each other.
But how did it become possible? Over the years, we spread to many other cities in Canada, USA and India. Some of us had retired after working abroad and now settled in India. In fact, our most enthusiastic member, who was immediately intent on organizing a reunion, was in Delhi.
The Bengaluru-based alumni finally got together on a bright Sunday morning with nine classmates meeting at a premier mid-town club. Of course, there were hiccups, as two of us had to attend last-minute work while the other was grieving, but we were together in the end. But what was there to talk about? Fifty years ago, boys were ashamed to talk to girls and vice versa. So how to break the ice (most grandparents have it now)?
One person began to simulate a board meeting, reading agenda items one after the other, figuring out how we could help our school. This was immediately vetted as it was necessary to get to know each other before starting any activity! Yet another video call our most enthusiastic member in Delhi to ask what to do next. Everyone remembered a very attractive biology teacher and how many boys went to his class despite being math students. Another remembered how a classmate had accidentally hit an eye while playing hockey. Many others remembered how we were together in NCC camps. The punishment which seemed very shameful then is now bringing a smile on our faces. Discussing our old school life, especially the funny moment when everything seemed so much better despite homework and teacher punishment, took up a large chunk of our meeting time.
Nothing beats a group of alumni of a school from a time when we are incapable of selfishness. As social beings, we crave opportunities to exchange our collective memories, thoughts, ideas, experiences, ideas and agenda and alumni meeting is an opportunity to meet with old friends whom we have not met in years Huh.
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