By Marnie DelCarmen

Newport High School will have its 30th reunion in October and although I am NHS Class of 85, I’ve been connected to the Class of 83 for 46 years, through my sister Michelle.

All my life I’ve lived under her shadow. At Tyee Middle School she placed into humanities, a special class for advanced thinkers. I didn’t pass the entrance exam.

She scored second chair flute in band. I was third violin in orchestra. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley; I, the University of Washington.

She became vice president of a savings and loan. I squandered my English degree driving buses and cashiering.

I think most people are sheepish on attending high school reunions. They don’t want to review the path they’ve taken against others. If we do the comparison game it leads to unhealthy results.

There is an old story about seeds that were sown. Some fell on stony places, others scorched by the sun, and some on good ground that multiplied. The parable means to me that only the select are saved, and there is only one way.

But people are complex bundles of humanity. College isn’t for everyone; a successful job may bring you riches, yet keep you from your family. The pattern of marrying your college sweetheart, having kids and the house with the white picket fence isn’t reachable for everyone. In affluent Bellevue, it’s even harder when there are expectations to follow only one route.

Wherever the journey, one needn’t wallow in the shadows, but rejoice that you are alive, and every day you can move towards the light. Bellevue’s libraries, community centers and continuing education programs offer fertile ground for any seed. No matter your age. Also, the Bellevue Reporter’s calendar offers wonderful ways of staying connected with the community and most are free.

And Michelle, my older sister, I am proud of you and everyone in the Class of 1983, even though I may have sold your flute online. Go Knights!

Marnie DelCarmen lives in Bellevue.