Too Soon?

A few weeks back, I worked at 50 Year Reunion for Mather High School in Northern Chicago. The district had invited all graduating years back since it opened in 1959. In order to control the massive number of people who came to the reunion, they divided the school into different decades. The 2nd floor gym was the 70s, the gym was the 80s, the theater was the 90s, but the cafeteria, where I was stationed (on the hot dog machine no less...) was for the classes of 1959-1969.

It was packed. It seemed like everyone in the district had tried real hard to get these alumni together since they have all the early memories of the high school. There were even teachers there who taught the '59-ers! People were passing around old photos of themselves; the best were the couples who brought prom pictures and were still together after all those years.

It was quite the festive event.

However, at the end, the man in charge of security (and therefore in charge of gently pushing people out the door once the reunion was over) started thanking everyone for coming out and finished with, "We'll see you in 2059!"

Everyone proceeded to laugh, except me. I immediately went, "Oooh!" as if a biker crashed and burned in front of me. The joke seemed like a low blow because, well, they won't be around in 2059 -- unless medicine becomes miraculous in the next 20 years. Nevertheless, the people the joke was about found it hilarious as they filtered out the doors. I guess at 60 or 70 death is right around the corner, and you've already been through your midlife crisis where you realize you're approaching death a lot more quickly... so I guess they were okay with a dark joke like that, because they have to be!

I was merely concerned that some people wouldn't appreciate the joke; that they might be offended or something. Clearly I just need to lighten up.