CANDLELIT CHRONICLES: HISTORIC HAUNTS

June 2_Feeling Sad for Tipper & Al 242 wc

The world is full of tragedies, too much so, and always has been: wars, genocide, holocausts, tsunamis, earthquakes, oil rig explosions, mining fires. The list could go on and on. Yet all tragedies do not necessarily involve death and disaster. Today I am feeling unaccountably sad over the announced separation of Al and Tipper Gore. Now, all political considerations aside, this couple has been married for forty years (they recently celebrated that particular anniversary)-in fact, they married the year I graduated high school, and that anniversary is causing a flood of memories for me. According to reports of Tipper Gore's comment at the 2000 Democratic National Convention, she had fallen in love with Al a full five years before they married, at a high school dance. 45 years as a couple! Can you imagine? I can't-and I am deeply saddened that they seem to have reached a point that neither can they.





On a similar note, my 40th high school reunion occurs June 12. No other reunion, or “anniversary” date for schooling, has affected me the way this has. May 30 I set up a new Facebook account in my birth name, rather than in my reviewer persona or author persona, and began sending friend requests to folks I would have been way too shy to approach in high school. In fact, last evening one very close “old friend” not in touch for more than 26 years “found” me!