"Kismet, Karma or Kender"

Before I begin today's therapy session, for those who have found themselves at this site in search of 2006 Reunion pictures , you have come to the right place. Just click on the above link and you'll be there, but please come back for more of my drivel.

As I was saying, is it Kismet, Karma or just plain ole me (or you) that makes things happen?

During a weekend of frivolity at my high school reunion, I noticed one individual, and for the sake of anonymity, I'll just call her Barbara, seemed to be holding court with many of my fellow reunionites. I'll admit that there were several faces there that I didn't recognize but I figured they might have been spouses of some of my former classmates.
But this individual was different. She seemed to captivate her audience including P.J., my high school best friend and reunion room-mate, who normally flits from woman to woman spreading his exhilarating warmth, laughter and bulls***.
Anyway, my turn came to expound some kind of witty remark and strike up a conversation.
I had been tipped off the she was quite opinionated, with a liberal twist, so I figured I would choose my words cautiously. So, I said, "I hear you are a real liberal". Boy, that was witty!
She didn't glare, didn't flinch, actually, really didn't pay me much time.
Suddenly I felt the urge to flee or fight. I chose fight.
We sparred back and forth as I tried to extract some information that might indicate who this person was that had obviously been one of my fellow classmates but I just couldn't place.
Now I pride myself on having quite an exciting background and a host of stories, most embellished, that have made me who I am today. Up until this chance meeting, I would gloat that I have never voted for a Democrat in my entire life. It's just who I am.
During our conversation, I noted I probably started this one-ticket journey as a result of a chance encounter (see I'm finally getting to the Kismet, Karma thing) as a R.O.T.C. cadet at the University of Oklahoma during the Kent State shootings and after being spat upon by fellow students I decided at that time, I would be an ultra-conservative.
Barbara on the other hand told of a story that shaped her life, when as an elementary student, she walked out of class as a protest to a picture of Gamel Abdel Nassar that had been placed on a bulletin board.
So here we are 40 some odd years later, she becoming an activist with an agenda that proclaimed the rights of people to live in the world with freedom and me with, well let's just say I guess I did what I thought sounded like the "American" way to do things.
The night continued with me asking questions of how I could better understand the liberal point of view, how could I have missed knowing her through high school and whether or not we could find a Waffle House open at 2:00 in the morning.
We shared stories of volatile times in the 70's, chance meetings of high profile people both left and right and perhaps how maybe I might find a new political party.
As I have told others since this past weekend of reuniting with old classmates, it was a time of seeing old friends and new friends all with a common background yet diverse today.
Now I'm not sure I'll change my voting habits, but I know I have found a new friend.
Was it kismet that our paths crossed? Was it karma for my willingness to see new ideas or was it just me who likes to meet interesting and thought provoking people?
Regardless, it was what reunions should really be about.