50 Years On Amongst us, we have writers, and builders, inventors and artists, patriots and pastors, judges and lawyers and counselors of many descriptions. We are educators and entreprenuers. As mothers and fathers and grandparents the future holds our hands. All together friends, we must know that we have created change in our world. Most for the better without any doubt. In all of our hearts, we want for our grandchildren and many greats after us, an even better life. We, however, clearly know the meaning of the Chinese curse—May you live in interesting times.

Our generation was welded together at the very beginning of our lives by happenstance of birth year and the shared history we lived through forged its imprint upon us. Those times seemed to be intent on making us choose sides of the many controversial issues that converged upon us. Everyone of us did their part in those times, as best we saw fit and as our own fates drove us. Each of us attempting to be true to themselves and what we felt was most right in our heart. Congratulations to us all for, in spite of the roughness of the road we traveled, those efforts succeeded in keeping society going and growing. Congratulations for choosing paths that kept our arms outstretched in both directions, making a bridge from the past to the future. Congratulations for all, we as a generation have done for 50 years to facilitate change for the better and better and best. Looking back, individually, we discover that our mistakes and our victories are meant to be shared with those coming after us to guide them so they can make the most right decisions for their own life and times. Looking ahead, we see a shorter path than fifty years ago, a path which leads inward as well as before us. Each one may cherish the memory book they carry inside of each special moment, and seek forgiveness for thoughtlessness, harsh words, sins of omission, so we can travel lighter ever onward.

The times they did some changin’ and so it goes, the only constant in the universe is change and we Eagles from the Class of 1964, are made of stardust sharing a place in time. We hope to see you all again at our next reunion time and place to be announced.

Barbra Koch Badger