How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, I never keep up with people I went to high school with.” or “Yeah, I went to my high school reunion, but I didn’t feel as if I had anything in common with them anymore.”

Is Seattle unique…or is it Ballard?

OK, so I’d kept in touch with a few people, and then found myself as a member of the Ballard High School 40th reunion planning committee. That was a defining moment!

Prior to that (about five years ago), a few others began getting together. It all started when one of “us” became ill and felt the desire to see former classmates. Starting with three people and slowly growing to 10, then 15 and now 33…this group of Ballard “girls” now meets seasonally, four times a year, at one of our homes with at least 20 attending.

And we all have a chance to update each other on life cycle events, our parents (those of whom are still with us), children, grand children, travel, etc., etc. And we do go back…wayyyy back…in addition to Ballard High, groups of us attended the same elementary and junior high schools.

So, many of these gatherings become a “nostalgia fest” when we talk about whose mother was the girl scout leader, whose house we hung out at after school or what we wore and what was popular at the time.

We’re part of one of the largest graduating classes at Ballard (first of the baby boomers – coming in at well more than 700 graduates). So, you might say…big deal – 33 of you women get together out of over 700!

I say, it’s a very big deal…it may only be a small percentage. But we ALL have at least one thing in common…it’s Ballard. It’s the school, it’s the neighborhood, it’s the community…all shaping who we are, what makes us tick….and we’ve become a sisterhood! (OK – there are some guys who show themselves occasionally – but we’ll let them be part of our sisterhood.)

BALLARD HIGH CLASS OF 1964 – 45TH REUNION

Saturday, August 15, 7 p.m.

Blue Ridge Community Center

10040 15th Ave. N. W., Seattle

RSVP to ballardhsclassof64@hotmail.com

Cost: $10.00