Sometimes I Feel like the Grim Reaper

I have lived in the same community Waterford, Michigan, or near by since 1970. I only keep in touch with a handful of friends from school, but three of them I have had since I was 6 or 7 years old! I wouldn't say that I was popular, but for the most part I was well liked and well known. I participated in many sports, clubs, and activities in Junior High and High School such as Gymnastics, Track, Choir, Drama Club, Student Government, and Yearbook. You meet a lot of people when your open and you put yourself out there, not to mention I was the youngest of four baby boomers and my siblings were all very active with their activities too. With every Baby Boomer family having 3 - 6 kids, by the time you meet your siblings friends and their families you have met half the town. I always said that Waterford was one of the largest small towns, actually a Charter Township. When I graduated from Waterford Mott in 1980 the US Census calculated the population of Waterford at about 67,000 and as of 2000 it was listed at just over 73,000.

Anyway, being one of the few classmates that have stayed in the area and being an active member of my graduating class I have worked on four reunion committees, and have been the chairman of the last three. The year before a reunion requires a lot of phone calling to locate classmates. And when we loose touch with a classmate we are generally able to find their contact information through their parents if they are still alive and in the area. I hate to dial those calls, as we have to the best of my knowledge lost nine classmates and you never know if the classmates are alive or well. I can't tell you haw many mothers have broke down and said something like "they don't know where Johnny is, I haven't seen or heard from him in fifteen years", how sad. Or even worst they will tell you about their loss and then I find out who our number ten is. Basically I am the keeper of the class database, so when any of us hear of the demise of a classmate or teacher I am contacted to pass on the information. I am in the same position with two other organizations that I control the database for and often have to pass on the sad news of a friend of colleagues passing. I know how important it is to pass this information on, but I always feel like the Grim Reaper. I wish that it would occur to these same people to pass on messages of joy or celebration. I would love to hear of an old friends good fortune, or of the birth their child or grandchild. I know this information would not be of interest to everyone, but I would rather pass on some bits of joy than bits of sorrow. We are all connected, it's very easy for us to loose touch, but it is so important to stay connected to our past and to our friends, family, and old neighbors. If we not connected were isolated, and if your isolated you might as well be living on a desert island alone. So I will consider it an honor and not an obligation to pass on this vital information.