An unofficial mini-reunion

My 32nd Devil Mountain Run has come and gone. It was a successful weekend, despite the unusual May rains that accompanied my visit. Saturday was probably the highlight as Will, Rick R., Bob R., Chris, and I all got together in San Francisco for the evening. We also connected with Rick T. via cellphone who was on board the Pacific Princess Cruise Ship in dock at Pier 29 (or close to there). So, whether there is a real reunion or not this year, at least the six of us got together. We all go back to Rancho Romero Elementary School all the way back to at least 1972.

The 10k race was wet and rainy but I finished in my usual 9 minute a mile pace. What I find most interesting is to look at the results of the race by age groups. I started running this thing when I was 17 and a whole bunch of other people my age also ran that year. But this year, just like other recent years, there were only about 2 or 3 runners under the age of 18 doing the 10k. Not that these 10k runs don't get participants -- they do. But they tend to be older nowadays.

Bob R.'s daughter will graduate from SR this June -- Class of 2009. How old are we? Can you imagine what you would have thought in 1979 if someone came up to you and said, "I graduated from SR in 1949. " We'd have thought, "Man, that's a long time ago!"

I understand that the large gym has been taken down and will be replaced by a new and modern facility. I haven't walked around our old school since 2004, so I suppose much has changed. Sad in some ways, but even in 1975-79, we knew that we were in old facilities. And with the wealth of the area, it was inexcusable for them not to modernize the school. But, for purely nostalgic and wholly unrealistic reasons, it would have been nice for me to keep everything the same.

One last thing I noticed about the Class of 2009's group photo. Apparently, this year's Senior Class is somehow even less diverse than the Class of '79 was. Why was I surprised? I don't know --probably because I live in a part of Maryland with a broad variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds represented in my town. But that's okay. That's just the way the demographics have worked out. Everyone is free to live wherever they can afford to live. Alamo and Danville are great places to live. If I could have afforded it, I would have loved to move back there.