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I did not attend a high school reunion. We were to have a class of 90 reunion in 2020 (where does the time go), but COVID restrictions put the kibosh to that. I'm not even sure I would've gone. After reading today's Understandably, I may need to reconsider attending any future reunions. My high school experience was not a great one. I should focus on what I am today and not way back then. It would be cool to catch up with some of the people I spent all those years with, a few of which I still keep in touch with. As for college, it was such a small campus that no reunions were organized to my knowledge. Besides, many of the students I studied with were actually adult learners, many studying for second careers, not sure how that would work. Anyhoo, that's my two cents. I look forward to reading other comments.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

I always try to attend my reunions. It amazes me how easy it is to reconnect with people we grew up with, even after not seeing them for decades. It says something about the bonds and relationships we establish during our formidable years. In the end, it's all about our relationships that we've established so lets make the most of them by spending more time with the people who have been so influential in our lives.

I'm curious to get your view on the LIV Golf league and the reaction from the PGA. I find it fascinating to see the PGA struggle to maintain its monopoly on the sport when big money threatens it. I can't wait to see how this plays out. Have a great weekend.

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founding
Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

Your words express the happiness you are living. Lovely

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Does Bill Murphy's wife really want him to go to this reunion? I mean, his history of these things is; he meets up with a former flame and gets married a short time later. I'm guessing she'll have him on a short leash at the event. Enjoy the reunion Bill.

I wonder if the rentals averaging over two grand is the new normal? I ask because when I retire in 4 years I planned to sell my house and move to one of those new senior apartment complexes. Now, I might just payoff my mortgage and stay here for the duration.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

I’m glad to see Congress focusing on the issues that matter most to us peons.

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founding
Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

Congratulations to you two on your ninth - wishing you 90 more!

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

I went to my 50th high school reunion in 2018 I had skipped all of them up until this time. I moved to Long Island from Philadelphia (Roman Catholic High School, the oldest free Catholic night school in america until the day I arrived and they started charging tuition) I lost touch with all of my classmates. In philly you are from a parish not from a neighborhood and in my case I didn’t fit the mold. I was very successful in my working years and was able to make sizeable donations to the school. So when the wife of one of the organizers called me for the 20th time I simply sent an email telling the school one more call and we are done. Well at the reunion this women comes up to me and says “so you are the powerful and mighty JJ Gonzalez” how do you respond to that. I wanted to say “get a life and stop harassing people” but trying to be a good Christian I simply smiled. It was nice to see my classmates (all boys school no change for romance) and the night was enjoyable

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

Actually, I just attended my 50th high school reunion last weekend - it’s only the 2nd one I’ve attended; the first one was just 5 years after graduation - just before I set out to parts unknown (not really). My graduating class was somewhere between 600-700 students, so there’s absolutely no way I could know everyone. Roughly 160 people attended, and that included spouses.

Over time, I had heard of 3 instances where people who attended high school reunions reconnected with someone for whom they left their marriage !! 2 of these folks are relatives of mine.

So, in self defense, I brought my hubby along ;-). I enjoyed reminiscing with a number of folks and my husband enjoyed the food.

Interestingly, there seemed to be more shared memories connected to the elementary and jr. High schools, as these were the people we knew the longest growing up in the same neighborhoods. We even had a group photo taken of all of us who attended the same elementary school!!

Sorry to make this any longer, but we were part of the”baby boom”. Our town had roughly 13 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools, and the one High School.

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Florida condo: I would rather have to crawl across broken glass while eating a pizza with anchovies on it than buy a condo in Florida. Reason? Condo associations. They are petty, vindictive, and gullible Pits of Hell. That and the assessments are atrocious. The association puts off maintenance issues until they become critical, costing twice or three times what would have been changed back when the problem was first discovered.

Other reason, your "neighbors" aren't very neighborly. They'll rat you out over the most trivial things. Even if they're wrong, they're right. In their mind. Too much Fox news, I believe.

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Reunions: That's a hard no, thank you very much. I couldn't wait to get out of school and work for myself full-time. None of them could help me. I went to school in Ft. Lauderdale. When my five year reunion was going on I was in Seattle getting paid $4,000 for 5 days work. On the 20th reunion night I was standing in a hangar at Joint Base Andrews looking at Marine One, the Presidents helo. Just delivered a couple of new engines and three sets of main rotor blades. $3,500 for working a day and a half.

I went to the 25th reunion. We were the Class of 1976. We graduated right into the South Florida cocaine wars. I quickly found out that reunions were mostly figuring out who died from what since the last reunion. I refuse to attend one ever again.

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The House panel hearings:

If you don't watch this presentation of the absolute truth, I would really question you calling yourself a patriot, much less an American.

Liz Cheney is laying herself bare, showing that she is a true patriot and meant every word of her oath of office. And yet the dimwits of Wyoming won't vote for her this time around. Why? She hasn't changed at all. She brings home the bacon for her constituents, just like always. The only thing that she did "wrong" was to tell the truth to a fat guy with a bad comb over and an orange spray tan.

Liz Cheney is one of a handful of Republicans that I respect as a Democrat. She says "No" on some issues that I say "Yes" on, but her reasoning is sound from her point of view. Wyoming doesn't realize what they have, and what they're going to lose by voting her out of office.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

10 years ago the best man at my wedding agreed to come to reunion with friends. We’re blessed to have been on this ride with him (and her!) for the past 34 years!

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My husbands class, a tight knit group from his Catholic high school decided after the first one or two left their ranks too soon, they would have a reunion yearly at the high school homecoming game. They have since gone one step further and get together monthly for dinner & drinks at local pubs.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

My USC NROTC class and a few others that have joined over time get together every April in Columbia. (That’s right, the original USC). Not everyone attends but the usual suspects are there every year and sometimes “new” old folks show up and that makes it even better.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

Best reunion story: Attended my 50th but missed the 60th (other plans)

Always count on change and embrace it!

No bad real estate story but a quirk and fate landed my wife and I on a lake front home from which we can watch the sun come until we move on to the hereafter.

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Jun 10, 2022Liked by Bill Murphy Jr.

As for last night’s primetime event. This whole thing is just plain sad. Not only did I watch (most of?) the mainstream coverage, I also listened to what Fox news had to say. It sure would be interesting to blend their timelines and events together. Frankly, both sides put out their own spins. Both sides have truth and both sides have people who are flawed (aren’t we all?). There’s Mr Thompson (the Panel Chairman) who not only refused to attend President Trump’s inauguration, but also called for his impeachment before the newly elected president was in office 24-48 hrs! And President Trump has a bad habit in that he speaks before he thinks - very little to no filter - we’ve seen that causes problems at a very high level. So what’s all this about a one- sided nonpeaceful transfer of power?? Seems to me, this issue has already happened for both sides …

My take on this? Life can ultimately be very unfair.

I honestly don’t know what it will take for fairness and civility to reenter our government in Washington DC. Actually, I do know - but I just don’t see ALL incumbents being voted out to allow new blood in. How possible / probable might that be?

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