1967

Lately I have been struck by just how great is the variety among our friends in what they find themselves experiencing from life at age 40-plus. From receiving promotions in fields chosen in college to starting second or third careers, paying tuitions for children beginning college to preparing for first babies, celebrating anniversaries with high school sweethearts to beginning new relationships, the range of our interests and location on the "traditional life curve" is both dramatic and fascinating. This was certainly evident at a recent mini-reunion in the New York area. A number of us had a wonderful time sharing memories, meeting new friends and learning recent news.

The new parent group was well represented. Gene and Kathy Tabor were sharing advice as recent parents with RalphStaley and Laura Lewin, who came from Delaware with daughter, Sasha. Gene Tabor not only has a new child but a new profession, having given up a corporate life of world travel to begin a housing development and construction project in New Jersey. Ralph Staley and wife Laura are both working with research groups at DuPont.

Bill Yaggy and Amy Leveen have many new elements in their life. They attended with new son Sam and a new au pair who had just arrived from the Netherlands through the Experiment in International Living. Bill has a new position with Planned Parenthood while Amy has returned to her work at Amnesty International. The Yaggys are giving advice to Peter and Rhonda Golenbock, who are expecting their first. After the success of his other baseball books, Pete is now deep in the research for a new work on the Boston Red Sox.

Awards for the greatest distance traveled went to Larry Leiken, who was there from Washington and Mike Wolff, who was in town from St. Louis. Both are attorneys; Larry works in energy law for the federal government and Mike teaches at St. Louis University. The total mileage prize may belong to Tom Pearsall and Rio Howard for whom the mini-reunion was just the first stop on a road trip to Vermont.

News of other classmates in the New York area comes from Steve Ayers, TimPollack, and Jeff Wortman. Steve, who has just been named a captain in the Naval Reserve, says that he has reached a new era as his older daughter becomes a teenager. Steve has recently joined the law firm of Mead, Bromley and Bishop in Stamford, which he describes as a group of "good lawyers and nice people working in Dickensian offices filled with IBM computers." Tim Pollack is spending a great deal of time in the air these days. After three years as a worldwide account director for Young and Rubicam, Tim has become C.E.O. of DYR, a joint venture of that firm with Dentsu. He seems to be alternating weekends in places like Beijing with time with the family in Woodstock.

In the "what a small world it is" department, I quote from a recent letter from art dealer Jeff Wortman that tells of an unusual interest: "Over the last few years it seems I have practiced Kendo with the Fort Lee Kendo Club and participated in a few tournaments they have sponsored. What a surprise to learn that a Dartmouth man, and a classmate to boot, is running the school whose gym we've been using. The fact is probably insignificant, but just the sort of coincidence to elicit a pleasurable chuckle whenever I think about it. How natural that all the important paths of my life should cross periodically. Next thing you know, I'll probably step into a match and find yet an other classmate, peering out at me through the grill of his face mask .... The truth is that Kendo is still a pretty obscure discipline in this neck of the woods, and such an event is unlikely to happen. More's the pity, since Japanese fencing is more than just a graceful, fast-moving sport. The physical demands are obvious, but young and old minds alike learn a lot about concentration (would that I had known as much when I began my freshman studies at college). It also turns out that to be effective one needs to be perfectly relaxed, both inside and out—sounds odd for a martial activity, but believe me, it's true. The tranquillity and self-confidence that gradually come with all this are pretty helpful in daily life—at least for a New Yorker! And the best part is that none of the rewards come very fast. Only the examples of seasoned players who have stuck it out and matured can bring a beginner to hope that sooner or later it will work for him, too. Anyway, I sometimes wonder if there aren't more American youths who

might gain from such training." Bill Bogardus reports that the class of 1967 has beaten its Alumni fund goal for the fifth year in a row. Congratulations to Bill, his agents, and all of us.

Bill Yaggy and Amy Leveen are planning a mini-reunion at their home near Baker Field after the Columbia game on November 7. So save the date and get football tickets if you will be in the New York area. All 1967s are welcome.

Call Bill at 212/601-3018.

401 Walnut Street Englewood, NJ 07631