Age and wisdom with the class of '77...nah...sounds too good to be true. One thing I can say from the photos I have seend is that so far it looks like we've all aged like a bottle of fine wine. The older we get the better the taste, the deeper and richer the color.
Helen, I never thought 25 years ago I would have 4 children and be trying at 42 for a 5th!

I am grateful for the past 11 years abroad. Living away from home and in different cultures has given me a totally different prespective on life.

Since September 11 I have had to watch the US from the outside. The locals here are highly critical of the US, especially since the 11th. (It's another exucse to blame another entity for the economic instability here, rather than the local government and the locals themselves.)

I was flying on AA that day from Orlando to the Caribbean. My daughter and I were on our way to the airport when her boyfriend called and told us to go back to her place. I can still hear Amy talking to him on her cell like it was an everday ocurrance, `The WTC, that place is always getting bombed.' She was not concerned in the least. Not even when she heard the Pentagon was hit. When we got home and turned on the TV about 10:10 it began to hit her.

I was already shaking in the car after speaking with Evan. I couldn't understand how it happened. How could our security be breached...especially around the Pentagon. I can still remember having the air aid drills in elementary school and not fully understanding why we had to get under our desks. Even as I grew older and knew why, it never really disturbed me. I was really shaken on the 11th. In a spiritual sense and as an American.

The industry I am in has been hit hard since the 11th. I am not faced with a possible layoff, but may need to lay off some staff. I'm working on budgets for our new year. I have taken a pessimistic look...worse case...which means staff cuts. I just can't find one person I need or want to cut. Business can be cold and hard and lonely.

I watched my Dad change his job in his early 60's. It was the best decision he made.
Watching my Dad has never made me afraid of or resist changes. Life is change. The way we look at life is the way we will treat life. My life has been blessed. I won't go through a mid-life crisis. I have achieved far different dreams than what I had originally wanted to do.

Yes, the grass does look greener on the other side...but for just a time. I find it's how you treat the grass on this side, before you can go to the other side. If you don't take care of what's on this side, you'll do the same on the other side and soon be looking for greener pastures again, and again and again. It becomes an unsatisfying never-ending circle.

Treat the grass well on this side, water it, nuture it, fertilize it, love it and when you're ready to move to another side...the next side will be much greater and more enjoyable.

Helen, I laughed the first time I saw your email address. Thanks for letting us know what it stands for.

Lee, India and China may look greener, but if I were you I would go as a last resort. If you want to know why...email me, I will give you some things to consider.

Karen, again a great observation as to the AP class was not the only class that pulled some tricks at school. We had a lot of people in our class and a lot of different groups. And a lot of different things that went on.

I was reading this the other day...some Karen has already mentioned, but it is some food for thought:

The Class of 2005

Just in case you weren't feeling old enough today, this will certainly change things. Each year the staff at Beloit College in
Wisconsin puts together a list to try to give the Faculty a sense of the mindset of this year's incoming freshman. Here is this
year's list:

The people who are starting college this fall across the nation were born in 1983. They have no meaningful recollection of the
Reagan Era and probably did not know he had ever been shot.

They were prepubescent when the Persian Gulf War was waged. There has been only one Pope in their lifetime. They were 10 when the Soviet Union broke apart and do not remember the Cold War.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up. Tianamen Square means nothing to them. Bottle caps have always
been screw off and plastic and there have always been ball point pens.

Atari predates them, as do vinyl albums.The statement "You sound like a broken record" means nothing to them. They have never owned a record player. They have likely never played Pac Man and have never heard of Pong.

They may have never heard of an 8 track. The Compact Disc was introduced when they were one year old.

They have always had an answering machine. Most have never seen a TV set with only 13 channels, nor have they seen a black and white TV. They have always had cable.

There have always been VCRs, but they have no idea what BETA was. They cannot fathom not having a remote control. They don't know what a cloth baby diaper is, or know about the "Help me, I've fallen and I can't ! get up" commercial.

They were born the year that Walkmen were introduced by Sony. Roller skating has always meant inline for them. Jay Leno has
always been on the Tonight Show. They have no idea when or why Jordache jeans were cool.

Popcorn has always been cooked in the microwave. They have never seen Larry Bird play. They never took a swim and thought about
Jaws.

The Vietnam War is as ancient history to them as WWI, WWII and the Civil War. They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. They can't imagine what hard contact lenses are.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.(The correct answer, by the way, is Ork) They never heard: "Where's the beef?", "I'd walk a mile for a Camel," or "De plane, de plane!"

There has always been MTV. They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.