Michael's 40th Class Reunion Get-Together

Michael went to Eastchester High School, Eastchester being in New York state. However, the first reunion event was being held in White Plains at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. This hotel was also being "recommended" as an appropriate place to stay for all reunion-attendees. That's because people in Eastchester are mostly filthy rich (Michael's mother was an heiress) and that Middle Atlantic arrogance can't imagine anyone being otherwise.

We got a bargain at an Extended Stay in nearby Elmsford, and then drove to meet Barbara and her husband, Peter, at the Crowne Plaza for the get-together.

Both Barbara and Michael feared they wouldn't know anyone, or hardly anyone, at the reunion and in fact had considered not going for that reason. I pointed out that both of them had been active in high school theatre and that therefore everyone would have known them even if the reverse might not be true. And sure enough, they did get recognized—aided partly, I'm sure, by Michael's following my suggestion that he use his "old" name on his name tag. To assist I called him "Tom" for the evening, the first time since I've known him that I had done so.

You'll be wondering why Michael changed his name. I don't want to go into details since it's his story to tell, but the Reader's Digest version is that his father was an abusive but politically prominent Eastchester citizen who got into gambling (there went his mother's money) and was eventually murdered. Between not wanting to be identified with the man, and a spiritual experience that revealed to him his "soul name", he legally changed his name to match his authentic self. Thus, the former "Tom" became "Michael". That's the only name I've known him by, but of course all this happened long after high school. So he spent the evening going by his old name, and I spent it calling him "Michael-I-mean-Tom".

A high point that occurred almost as soon as we got there, was Michael's reconnecting with his high school best friend Derik. Derik and Barbara were also close, so here they are together:

In a class this large—and over a third showed up, between the "get-together" and the formal dinner the next night—there were bound to be surprises. One was that Michael's former classmate Andy lives right here in Mesa, about five miles away from us!

None of Michael's former classmates were nonplused over his being gay. In fact, most went out of their way to talk to me and make me feel welcome. One such was Jonathan, who spent time chatting with me alone as well as with Michael, Barbara and Andy.