1962: It Was a Very Good Year

A great deal happened in 1962.

-John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth

-Johnny Carson took over hosting duties on the Tonight Show

-Pete Best was dumped by the Beatles and Ringo Starr came aboard the Fab Four

-JFK played chicken with Khruschev in Cuba

-Marilyn Monroe died at the tender age of 36

-The Maple Leafs were on a roll and once again took home Lord Stanley's hardware

-One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was published

-Lawrence of Arabia hit theatres

-Matthew Broderick, Rosie O'Donnell, Tom Cruise, Steve Carell, Roger Clemens, and Demi Moore were all born

And...some of my all-time favourite people came into the world. The closest friends of my youth. I wasn't around for most of it considering that I was born on the third last day of that year, making me the baby of the group, but...1962 was still a very good year. (BTW-I used to hate my December birthday. I always was the last to do everything. Now, in the throes of middle-age...It's not so bad!)

When talking with a few of those friends earlier this year about our upcoming dates with destiny and the impending half a century that we were all due to mark, we hit upon this idea of a mass birthday party. Given that our birthdays were obviously spread out across the twelve months of 2012, the idea of holding a get together as close to the middle of the summer seemed only logical. Our resident organizer took it upon herself to contact the group and a brainstorm was born. After much haggling over the calendar, (so many schedules to sync) the seven of us, our spouses, and a few offspring gathered last evening to celebrate 50 years together. It seemed only fitting. We were all so close-knit growing up, that ringing in this milestone was a natural. Yes, it is true that we all have our own lives now. Careers, families, and travels have all interceded. But it was amazing how easy it all seemed. Old patterns. Old jokes. Old stories. Like time and distance had never separated us.

There was more grey and less hair. A few more lines and a few more pounds. But none of that mattered. It was like we had never left each other for lives that demanded to be lived.

We had party favours. CDs with our favourite songs from another generation and retro candy came in personalized loot bags. Old photos provided some frightening reality checks on fashion faux pas and 70s hairstyles. And laughs. Lots and lots of laughs.

Many people have inquired about my feelings on this upcoming birthday. I have decided to embrace it for all its glory. And, why not? What's not to embrace. I look at 50 as a presentation of opportunities. Opportunities to try new things, to see new places, and to meet new people. But I refuse to dismiss the ones that got me here. Last night we celebrated it all! Happy Birthday 1962. You were indeed a very good year.

Where's the Sense of Occasion?

I just had an very interesting conversation with Younger Son and for some reason I felt the need to address it in the blogosphere. It isn't a secret that he is on the cusp of his graduation from university and it certainly isn't a secret how tremendously proud we all are. He has worked so hard and deserves all accolades coming his way. But in a fashion that is typical for him and many others I know, he is terribly non-plussed about the whole thing. I have been trying to figure out why this is bothering me so much and I think that I finally have. I believe that there is a terrible lack of occasion present in his outlook.

Maybe my frustration is borne from the fact that I have not had the pleasure of seeing either of my children graduation from anything since grade school and that trend will continue this spring. You see, camp has always taken priority. Graduations typically occur in June and have ALWAYS coincided with the opening of the camp season. As a committed camp alum and parent, I know that I should be dripping with pride at the special place that camp has had in my sons' lives and, frankly I know that we had a great deal to do with that. But, honestly! One stinking graduation ceremony is all that I ask for!

This year the problem is as much about American Homeland Security as it is about Younger Son's ambivalence. And trust me, his ambivalence is great! When the conflict of dates was discovered, I did try to procure airline tickets to bring him home for his convocation. The problem is that the visa granted to him only allows him one crossing of the American border. If he attempts to cross back, it renders the visa null and void. There went the grand plan of attending a graduation ceremony. I was suitably upset and still am, but the rest of my family-including Younger Son-don't seem to think it a big deal. Even before the border shut us down, he was not at all interested in sitting in a sweaty Convocation Hall with thousands of others in order to have his few minutes of glory. It matters not at all to him. The degree matters. The work matters. The accomplishment matters. The occasion doesn't.

In order to try and alleviate some of my disappointment, (and yes it is MY disappointment) we planned a family dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate. Very low key and very in keeping with what he wants. I am just fine with this, honestly I am, but I can't help but wondering to where has our sense of occasion disappeared? I'm not talking big over-the-top events. I'm talking about simply recognizing a life event and making it matter. There are so few of these celebratory moments in life, it seems to me we should do all we can to make them special. Why are we so quick to dismiss them and render them unimportant?

You see, I do think that the occasion matters. I do think that we should celebrate whenever given the chance. Life is simply too damned short not to. I do think that we should applaud ourselves and those we love when milestones occur. I think we should find purpose in these events and see them for the stepping stones that they are. So tonight, I will celebrate the accomplishments of my son. I will dress nicely and I will snap his picture. I might even order dessert! I will toast him and all that he has done and I will let him see my pride. Because this is one occasion that I believe does matter.