A surge is seen in reunions, Alumni meets and so on in the past one decade or two. Resorts and hotels would be able to vouch for this.
I, for one, have been experiencing it over the past few decades. In fact, I will be participating in a 1960-batch high school reunion in January and in a 1966-batch engineering college reunion some time later.
Many former classmates and class-cum-hostel mates, are looking forward to the event. Those living outside Chennai and even those abroad are making their travel plans. The excitement is palpable.
The reasons for our continued camaraderie are not difficult to fathom. At school, we were in our pre-teen to mid-teen years. One hardly thought about the status or family background of the other, though this did emerge over time. In any case friendships were forged on the sports field, where we were spoilt for choice.
Our visionary headmaster furthered this spirit by his practices. For example, for the annual day function, older boys not in the programme were required to carry a wooden chair each from the classrooms for the visitors. A complimentary glass of fresh lime juice in the school canteen was the reward. Further, at the end of every academic year, on the last day of school, all boys together had to sandpaper and wax-polish their desk in the knowledge that they may not get the same desk next year, sometimes not even the same classroom.
At engineering college, being in a hostel with very little alternative, helped. However, a few day students were also welcomed into the fold, if they were so inclined.
There was parity in different ways. Being mostly in mid-teens and having been brought up in a family atmosphere meant commonality in values and also not being set in our ways and outlook. Therefore the traditional differences in society did not come into the picture. Further, being used to people around us made us seek companionship. Initial twinges of home-sickness also nudged us in that direction.
The clincher must have been the manner in which we were allotted rooms, whether by design or accident. Allotment was initially as and when we enrolled and later alphabetically, even within the batches or disciplines. In short, the choice of room and room mates (we were four in a room) was not in our hands. Again five years of proximity helped form friendships, often long-standing.
Most of us feel freer in these groups where we can let our guard down (to borrow a boxing term), drop the façade put up for society and be assured of not being misunderstood, quoted or even misquoted.
That old friendships are valued universally is seen in the popularity of the lines of the old Scottish poem Auld Lang Syne. Very freely translated into English, the poem would mean: for the sake of old friendships let us get-together one more time, gather and raise a cheer for the good old times together.
It seems to work wonders as many have admitted to coming away rejuvenated and feeling younger.
There is much to be said for long-standing Friendships and they need to be regularly brought to mind, lest they be forgotten in the passage of time.
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