So Much Has Changed

Every morning I glance at the reunion Web page to see if any classmates have signed the Guest Book or added photos to our albums. A few of our graduates signed the Guest Book this week.

Darlene DeSiena pointed out that she's the Mother of a current student at Warde. "My son goes there, and I couldn't believe it when he got assigned to the same house as me. The school is so different than when we went," she wrote. I'm sure I'll feel the same way when my son starts at Warde in a little more than two years.

"By the time the reunion takes place, my son will turn 18. He starts the 12th grade in September," she continued. "It was very eerie walking into Warde for the first time in many years for my son's open house. So much has changed."

She's right. The school is so very different. So much has changed, indeed.

I spent an entire afternoon at the high school last Wednesday to take photos with my digital camera. I had that "eerie" feeling the whole time I was there. It almost felt like what happened 30 years ago never really took place. First, we were there over a generation ago, and that's a long time. Second, the school has changed dramatically. It looks brighter and better than it did when we attended Warde.

While walking the halls of the school, I swore I felt the "ghosts" of some of our former teachers, such as Miss Rodriguez, Mr. Abraham, and Miss Contolini, there in spirit. Although there are a handful of teachers still at the school from the days when we attended, I couldn't help but think of the teachers who called the school home back in 1976.

I ran into a former colleague at the Connecticut Weather Center in Danbury with whom I worked in the late 1990s. He's now a Science teacher at Warde and is currently conducting a class on meteorology. He was surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He's actually young enough to be my son. "I graduated from this school in 1976, and I'm taking some photos for our reunion Web site," I proudly told him.

"Wow, that's a long time ago," he affirmed.

He's right. It is a long time ago. As I walked toward the front door, it almost felt like those "ghosts" were smiling at me for making the pilgrimage to Warde.

I thought about what my former colleague and current high school teacher said. We can certainly celebrate our past and enjoy the wonderful memories we have about our years at Warde. But, we can't re-live them. Time has a way of changing everything.

I started the car, turned on the radio, and heard the Carpenters singing Yesterday, Once More. How ironic. I began singing along. "Looking back on how it was in years gone by ... so much has changed."

Just then I thought I heard the "ghosts" singing along with me.

" ... so much has changed."

Paul