Still all those activities became the playmates of our memories. We reminisce on all the things that we did and all the places we visited when we were in high school. Sometimes this reminiscence makes us young again.

For almost all of us we no longer go to school, no more dance and play practices, no more PMT classes, no more school club meetings, no more structured activities that all of us had forty years ago.

For those who are still in the workforce, they do still attend courses, conference and conventions to widen their knowledge and gain more skills in their work performances. For those who had retired from work, they had gained acceptance to another phase of life. They no longer go to office but they have “aposina” now. This pre-occupation keeps them occupied everyday but at the same time this gives them the vigour, vitality, stamina and strength in their everyday activities. I can imagine the joy of looking after grandchildren bring to some of my classmates. For some the number of grandchildren has become the measure of success. Grandparents are so devoted to their grandkids. The joy of living with extended family is what we (in overseas) miss. It may take some of us years to enjoy having grandkids, in the meantime Danny and I are happy and contented in looking after and spoiling our “Tommy”.

We might not have structured activities anymore but these are replaced by attending social functions where we apply the skills in dancing we learned from high school. We do still attend meetings. We retire from work but we do not retire from life. Those who are still in the workforce do still attend meetings regularly which some of them despise. Outside our offices, we attend meetings, some, with high school classmates for the reunion planning and some attend meetings in their respective churches and organizations.

The Philippine group attends meetings too, they attend the MIClass 65 meetings. Whenever Santy has called meetings, everyone is looking forward attending them. The Philippines “crew” became very enthusiastic and interested in being parts of the pre-reunion and reunion activities. These meetings have become the vehicles of their “updates”. I could not imagine how many times Santy has called, “Will the meeting come to order.” Of course everyone, especially the women are so busy with the “Do you still remember….?” Reminiscence, reminiscence!

Locating members of MIClass65 has become an activity which most of them want to engage in and thoroughly enjoyed. Being one of Santy’s crew gives them a new meaning of friendship and new perspective in life. It gives them the best way how to spend weekend. It makes them young again. For the Philippine group, locating members and planning for the reunion have given them not only a new meaning of friendship but also renewed strength in tackling the daily cares of lives. This renewed strength emanates from the feeling of belongingness, of being a part of the group. Who would imagine that a classmate would be tracked down in Davao another one in Italy? In tracking down members, Santy and his crew have extended their “networking abilities” they trekked meadows and fields and dared biting dogs to reach the houses of classmates. They visited places which some of them had been when they were in high school attending fiestas and birthdays. “There are places I remember all my life, though some have changed, Some forever not for better, some have gone and some remain.”

Locating a member has become the crowning glory of the group. For the other members it’s an unexplainable feeling when somebody has been found. It is just like another sheep that has gone astray and is back to the fold and the shepherds with Santy as the handleader perform a commendable work. Thus locating members of MIClass 65 has become not only an activity but a passion to the Philippine group. This passion has been nurtured by the desire to meet and see classmates 40 years ago. This passion has been tingled with curiosity, “how do they look like after 40 years”. This passion has been fulfilled when after 40 years they shook hands, tapped shoulders and hugged and kissed.

Thus in this process, the connections that were severed for the past 39 or 40 years had been re-connected. Memories had been jogged and the gaps in between them had been filled. True to the fragment of that song, “Memories fresh between the pages of my mind, Memories things are getting better just like wine.” This renewed camaraderie and “born again friendships” I am pretty sure, will continue forever and will be cherished by all of us.

Lastly, let us engaged in our respective activities with fervour and dedication and make these activities the “sugar and spice” at this phase of our lives. Let us continue engaging in these activities of maintaining the links of MI Class 65 members strong. Let us keep uphold these activities that make us - MI Class 65.

Armed with the knowledge and skills we earned in our elementary grades, we entered the gate of Meycauayan Institute in June 1961. We were so naïve then, so timid and with roving eyes explored the corridors of the school often in quandary on what it will offer for the rest of our 4 years stay. Our exuberance brought us further into the next concentric circle of life and education till we finally sought our levels. Mind, Body and Soul We found out that the Meycauayan Institute like other educational institutions not only caters to nurture our minds but also our bodies and souls. This objective is attested by the numerous school organizations that all offer all exciting goals for the developments of our minds, bodies and soul. The Pen Mouth Playhouse Club, the Literarians, Mga Anak ni Balagtas offered developments and improvements of our literary and theatrical skills. Plays written by prominent Filipino playwrights were staged and these showcased acting and directing abilities of the young thespians. Practicing plays until early evening and even during weekends gave these young people every opportunity to know each other and their camaraderie has blossomed. The Young Scientists Club hoped to produce another Albert Einstein or an astronaut that could land on the moon which during those times this fact was still a remote possibility. Though none of us turned out to be an Einstein or an Armstrong there is something in us that was nurtured scientifically and some of us had continued finding scientific facts and theories in the universities. To those who have government positions the MI Student Government provided the basics and experience in running the government. One who saw the girls balancing themselves on the beams or balancing glasses on their heads can’t help but wonder and sighed comments of admiration on the magnificent execution of those acts. These acts done with grace, timing and precision were what the MI Gymnasts Team and the MI Dance Troop provided to the members. If gracefulness of movements was one of the objectives of these two organizations the objective of the MI Cadet Corp/ROTC was entirely the opposite. With the aim of making the boys moved and acted in a gentlemanly ways coupled with their militaristic manner, they marched in their stiff khaki uniforms under the blazing sun for a number of hours every Saturday morning. As a balance and well rounded student our spiritual well being was also taken care of. The Meycauayan Institute Catholic Association and the Hi Y were the two organizations that provided activities to the students to secure places in heaven. At least there was a nun and a pastor in the MI Class 65. These are the clubs and organizations that gave colours and excitement to our high school life. These are the activities that moulded and shaped us into what we are today. What we are today is the results of these activities though not rigorous but definitely added flavour to our personality. These are the activities that helped us in our transformations and prepared us into our tertiary lives in colleges and universities. After four years of secondary schooling the pimpled and pigtailed girls and crew cut boys were ready to move into the next phase of life. It seems it was only yesterday when we left the portal of our Alma Mater. Thirty nine years was such a long, long time but still the thespians who played the acting roles in the plays they staged could still deliver the lines, could still recite the poems. We could still mimic the mannerisms of our teachers and tell each other idiosyncrasies in life. We still remember lots of things and events that make us sick of laughing. At least we can laugh now at our mistakes we laugh at our ignorance and innocence. Although they said that everything we did then is already passé and no longer practiced today, yet these activities are important contributions to what we are today. They formed the part and parcel of our behaviour and attitude today and nobody can deny that. Funny – walking down the memory lane gave us again a glimpse of the past that brought us to the present, a present which coloured by the memories of the past that will bring us to the future and then we again look back and by looking back we come home. We are coming home at 40 after we left the Meycauayan Institute in 1965.

 

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