As people reach middle age, they often hear their peers jokingly say, "I'm getting old."
For some reason, a trend is rapidly expanding: class reunions. My son and his friends, even in their teens, frequently have gatherings. My mother, over seventy, looks forward to her old classmates' reunions whenever she returns to her hometown. And I've experienced it too. Last night I had a big drinking session with my high school classmates, and this morning at ten, my elementary school classmates were already waiting at my door. Before drinking at noon, I had to remind myself, while still sober, that there was a junior high reunion tonight, and I absolutely couldn't let the alcohol cloud my judgment. But
once the glass was raised, those vows vanished. Whether a class can have frequent reunions depends on three things: first, the atmosphere and the closeness of friendships during their school years; second, having a few enthusiastic organizers who can ignite the enthusiasm of those who are hesitant to leave; and third, the organizers need inexhaustible wisdom to always find reasons to reunite.
For example, my high school class had a major reunion every ten years, a mid-term reunion every five years, and a smaller reunion whenever a classmate returned from out of town. Meanwhile, my high school classmates in Beijing, in addition to their regular gatherings, have established a tradition of meeting every September 1st, because "school starts again."
Once, on a plane, I read an interview with director Kang Honglei in a magazine. Like me, he's from Inner Mongolia. Every year, he returns to the grasslands to be with his classmates. They don't talk about "Soldiers' Sortie" or "The Passionate Years"; they just talk about the past, drinking heartily. Whether it's good or bad, as long as the drinking goes smoothly, everyone feels at ease: "This guy hasn't changed; he's still our old classmate."
Reading this, I was moved to tears and had to close the magazine, not reading the rest. I couldn't help it; I felt the same way.
Twenty years after entering university, we organized a reunion, named "At Least I Still Have You." The meaning is clear: no matter how unpredictable life is, whether the journey is smooth or bumpy, whether tears outweigh smiles or vice versa, what's comforting is: at least I still have you.
Before the reunion, we collected old photos from each classmate, edited them slightly, and created a large album. At the start of the reunion, dozens of middle-aged men and women gathered again in our old classroom on campus, and the teachers were also invited back. It began with a slideshow of old photos. Twenty years had passed; not only were we sometimes unable to recognize others, but we probably couldn't even recognize ourselves. Amidst the cacophony of "Who is this?" and "Is that me?", tears slowly began to stream down our faces—both teachers and students alike.
Reunions often bring humor. For example, a male classmate toasted a female classmate, sincerely emboldened by the alcohol, saying, "Back in school, I always had a crush on you. What was your name again?" The whole room burst into laughter, and the man had no choice but to drink it in return.
At reunions, the common phrase among classmates was "Nothing's changed, nothing's changed." We've all grown old together, so naturally we feel like we haven't changed. But a little while later, walking into the campus and seeing the younger students who were the same age we were when we were in school, we all chuckled wryly, realizing that "Nothing's changed" was pure self-deception.
Music is an essential part of any gathering. Once, we compiled the most popular songs and dance tunes from our school days onto two CDs, totaling two and a half hours. The dance party at the gathering unfolded to these familiar melodies, and everyone seemed to find solace in them, unaware of the passing years.
Another time, after dinner and the dance party, and even after the drunken had sobered up, we sat on the concrete outside, singing every song we could remember from our school days, until our minds went blank.
Gatherings are wonderful, but the downside is the difficulty of returning to reality afterward. This becomes even more pronounced with age, sometimes even leading to fantasies: why can't we stay in school forever? It's in this sense of loss that we struggle, day by day, to return from the innocent days of school to the chaotic world of reality. Equally difficult is the transition from pure friendship to the competitive or distant environment where people's hearts are hidden. However, there's no point in complaining. This is precisely what gives class reunions their value, and why they've become increasingly fashionable and are rapidly developing into an industry!
For us, class reunions have become like a religion, and interestingly, after we parted ways, we seem even closer and more connected than we were on campus. With so many reunions, we've come to a conclusion: under the influence of time, our friendship has transformed into kinship, and each reunion further strengthens this bond.
Because our classmates are there, and the reunions are there, some days don't feel so unbearable. At least we know we don't have to worry about the fleeting years and the fading of the past. It's okay; what we can't remember, our classmates will remember for us. Of course, more importantly, even if the future holds no promise, at least we still share a warm past.
Comments
Post a Comment