There is No Such Thing as a Virtual Reunion

I’m headed to Massachusetts this weekend for my 50^th high school reunion. WOW! How did that happen? I will get to visit with my classmates in my hometown of Plymouth. We will listen to music of our era and reminisce about our childhood and neighborhood. Coming together with classmates after all these years is a special occasion that I wouldn’t miss for the world.

Within 10 years of my graduation in 1964, I was working as editor of Eastern Quarter Horse Journal. Not the career I chose in high school, but certainly the one that became a lifelong career in equine publishing. By 1974, I had attended my first AHP seminar in Washington, D.C. and had met some of the people who would become my friends and mentors. Attending every annual seminar from then until now has always felt like a reunion to me. It’s one of the few times during the year where I get to spend time with my longtime friends and the members I have communicated with by phone and internet. Reunions are about face-time.

Whether the reunion is with family, classmates, or your business associates, the one factor that sets it apart in today’s digital world is that we take time from our busy lives to communicate in person, where we can shake a hand or give a hug. We live in such a virtual world that this form of interaction enhances the importance of face-to-face meetings and discussions.

I’m looking forward to reuniting with AHP members in Charleston this month where we can share experiences, ideas, and a welcome hug. Hope to see you at this year's AHP reunion, and if not Charleston, then plan on San Antonio in 2015!