Hello everyone, and welcome to the Coldwater High School Class of ’79 Reunion.

Man, five years just flew by, huh? Well, I always was terrible at math. Just ask Mrs. Roseman. Seriously, while it might not seem like yesterday that we were all worried about where we’d go to college or what type of job we’d land straight out of high school, 30 years have indeed flown by. Every time that I’m reminded that I’m 48 years old, I think, “Really? When did that happen?”

But I have to say—looking out at all your gorgeous faces, I think, for the most part, we’ve handled the years pretty well. I know people who are 10 years younger than we are who don’t look half as good, so let’s give ourselves a hand.

Elijah emailed me yesterday and asked me to give this welcome and occasion address. I had no idea what was meant by “occasion”, but he said it was the motivation for coming to the reunion. The first thing that popped into my head was “Why does anyone go to their high school reunion? To make sure they’re not the only one who got fat!” But then I started to really think about it, and this is what I came up with:

WHY AM I HERE?

I’ve been in California for 28 years now—10 years longer than I lived here. It’s home, but it’s not home. Over the years I’ve come back to visit, mostly during the holidays. But it’s so hectic at that time of year that getting together with friends takes some real effort. Sometimes it doesn’t happen at all, and that’s unfortunate.

2009 has been a rough year for me. I lost my job unexpectedly last September, and I only just got a new one last week. I don’t think I would have made it through this year unscathed had it not been for the support and friendship of one person. This person calmed me when I was agitated, gave me pep talks when I was discouraged, and talked me off the ledge more times than I care to remember. He reminded me of who I am and where I’m from. I’m Cindy O’Neal, from Tate County, MS, and I have stared down Mrs. Hankerson and lived to tell the tale. I don’t let something like a crappy economy beat me down.

This person is from right her in Tate County. So my point is, 28 years of making friends and building a life in California, and it took someone from back home, and his unflinching willingness to be there any time I needed to talk to someone to get me through the roughest patch that I’ve ever been through in my life.

WHY AM I HERE?

Our high school years, whether we enjoyed them or not, helped shape us into the people we are today. Friendships were formed, and while they may fade a bit over time, they never end entirely. And when we do finally see each other again, we fall right back into things as if these past 30 years never happened. How many of you feel right at home with everyone here? Uh huh. That’s what I’m talking about.

“Till death do us part” is a phrase that’s spoken at weddings, but could just as easily be applied to the friendships we form over four years of seeing each other every day; of helping each other through a hard class, a painful breakup, or dreaming up a really good story to tell our parents about why we’re out past curfew and there’s a fresh dent in the Oldsmobile.

WHY AM I HERE TONIGHT?

For the same reasons you are: because we’re connected, because shared experiences during a scary, wonderful, crazy, amazing, irreplaceable time in our lives make us family. Because people, more than places, are our true homes.

It’s been my pleasure to welcome all of you here tonight. I hope you all have an amazing time. I hope someone does something scandalous so we’ll have a story that the Class of 1980 or any other year cannot possibly top. And I hope to see all of you, and your walkers, here again in another 30 years.

Cindy O'Neal ( Star Student)