Hagley Writers Institute celebrated it’s 10th year of operation this weekend. After a night of listening to great poetry, variable fiction and wondering why I hadn’t chosen to sit near the food, I realized the only thing that had changed was the energy we offered the dreams we’d all had when we signed up. So I went home, made myself a burger and watched TV.
The only other reunion I’ve attended in the last decade or so, was that of my High School in Michigan. The US is a big target and the rest of the Western world tends to forget how much of our modern culture has come from this country that takes no prisoners when it records its place in history; be it through film, television or the written word. That meeting of old classmates reminded me of how kind and genuine Americans are – and I can say with certainty, without them my FB page wouldn’t have the word Trump on it at all.
Reunions are like looking into your family history – interesting but not something I need to do on a regular basis. Connecting with the good things of the past, reminding myself how far I’ve come and knowing the institution I attended played a part in creating who I am, is worthwhile remembering. But doing the work and seeing the goal ahead – that’s much better.
Robyn Anderson 