24 hours flashback in time to my childhood in Deinze
Early February I was invited for my 30-year reunion at my high school. Quite shocking to realize we are just one table away from the oldest reunion table where we'll sit in 10 years. The reunion event is massive with 3 entries according to your alphabet name and we heard some young girls in front of us sighing that there were "such old people". Hahaha, yes yes, girls but before you realize it, you'll be us.
Anyway, only 13 were present of my final year, which was a sad low number with only 4 of my class. Nevertheless, it was nice to catch up and we spent a lot of time speculating about some people that seemingly had disappeared from the globe with nobody ever hearing from them anymore since graduation. Last time a lot of us talked was during our reunion in 2020, just at the eve of the global pandemic breaking out. I remember back then the weird instruction that had just been launched to not give greet people anymore with hands and kisses.
Despite just being a small percentage of us being present, the current invitation was just sent to some electronically and had to be passed on via via. It resulted in an old Facebook group of ex-schoolfriends exploding with new people getting added and the whole weekend it triggered an exchange of old pictures scanned and shared. The next week I also spent an evening opening my picture closet that I never open, browse through pictures and dump my share of memories in the group. What a flashback to the 90ies!
Excursions in the Ardennes
Anyway, only 13 were present of my final year, which was a sad low number with only 4 of my class. Nevertheless, it was nice to catch up and we spent a lot of time speculating about some people that seemingly had disappeared from the globe with nobody ever hearing from them anymore since graduation. Last time a lot of us talked was during our reunion in 2020, just at the eve of the global pandemic breaking out. I remember back then the weird instruction that had just been launched to not give greet people anymore with hands and kisses.
Despite just being a small percentage of us being present, the current invitation was just sent to some electronically and had to be passed on via via. It resulted in an old Facebook group of ex-schoolfriends exploding with new people getting added and the whole weekend it triggered an exchange of old pictures scanned and shared. The next week I also spent an evening opening my picture closet that I never open, browse through pictures and dump my share of memories in the group. What a flashback to the 90ies!
The big noisy hall filled of people at our reunion
My graduating class
our 100-dagen
Posing in Pergamon- Turkey
Excursions in the Ardennes
Unfortunately my return to my home town had a good timing with the funeral of my parent's best friend. My parents , both elementary school teachers, were really close friends with another teacher couple. They both travelled together, we spent all our New Year's celebrations together, I had sleep-overs there with their children etc. The woman had already passed away quite some years ago and now we also had to say goodbye to the husband. With our families been so close together, it felt quite good and appropriate that I could attend the funeral and show my support to their children, whom I also had not seen in real live anymore in a few decades.
Also the funeral with all the stories seemed a flashback to my childhood.
Also the funeral with all the stories seemed a flashback to my childhood.
Afterwards I drove to my sister-in-law and I passed Deurle and the beautiful landscape with the Leie meandering through the landscape. With the recent exposition on Emiel Claus in mind, but also my own bike trips in the area (including visits to the local art museums of Deurle) I made a stop. I took some fresh air next to the Leie.
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