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Cynthia Taylor (Zook)
Dear Classmates,
I was more than excited to attend our 51st HS reunion this past June … I had been unable to attend any reunions since our 20th due to schedule conflicts, I had lost Mike, my husband of almost 44 years 5.5 years earlier, and we were all coming out of COVID lockdown. I couldn’t wait to reconnect with all of you!
Knowing my circumstances, Friday night several people joked about the magic of AHS love connections and predicted I could be this year’s success story. I laughed … choosing instead to enjoy every conversation over the three days as a “love connection” in the spirit of friendship. I left Sunday very grateful for the tremendous time I had with our classmates … thanks in large part to the fabulous events and heavy lifting by our extraordinary Reunion Committee.
A few weeks later things changed … a few very brief encounters – totaling about 10 minutes over three days during our reunion – sparked my crazy love story … please allow me to share it with you.
At the meet-and-greet on the first night of the reunion, Bill Bowen and I had a three-minute conversation, during which he told me he had a crush on me in 10th grade English class (I never knew). Bill says he reverted to being “high school Bill” at the reunion and was too intimated to say more than a few words to me. After that very brief conversation Friday night, we did not speak again until “closing time” on Saturday night, when Bill came over to say goodbye and that he was returning to California in the morning. I said, “Bill, we should have one dance.” Bill quickly took my hand and twirled me out onto the dance floor for what turned out to be the last dance of the night, and we talked briefly while dancing. The next morning as he was leaving, he stopped by my table at breakfast to say goodbye, and I told him I'd friend him on Facebook. That was the full extent of our interaction at the reunion.
A week after the reunion, Bill sent me a two-sentence, heartfelt “thanks for the dance” text. I mentioned all this to my daughter a couple weeks later. Knowing I had work in California upcoming in a few months, she said, "Mom, you should text that Bill guy and meet up with him for lunch or dinner.” Later that day, I reached out to Bill, and he promptly responded that he wanted to connect.
What followed was a maelstrom of texting and zoom calls over the next month … many would say we were acting like two high school kids! Bill decided late September was too long to wait to see each other in person, so he flew out to see me in early August. We both agreed the chemistry and in-person time was even more magical … clearly, we were smitten!
Now we have week-long visits every other week when he flies out to VA or when I fly to CA for work. And we are talking about the future. We look forward to turning 70 next year and continuing our love story … all sparked by the AHS Reunion!
Bill and I thank all the members of the Reunion Committee for creating the time, place, and magic for this love story to emerge … we are both grateful and happy!
Which leads to why I am writing you on the website … last night, I danced the night away to the sounds of Tony Bardo (AHS Class of ’70) and his band, the Dialtones, at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA with classmates Fran O’Dea Schwind, Fred Chandler, Maureen Hamilton, David Anderson, Maryalice Conmy, and Rebecca Berry. Maureen reminded me to post our news on the AHS class website.
I am also adding some pictures to my profile from last weekiend in Charlottesville where Bill and I enjoyed our old stomping grounds at UVA before celebrating a friend's wedding. I think these pictures will give you a flavor of the fun Bill and I are having together!
Go Atoms!
Cindy Taylor Zook
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