Fifty One Years Later

Sometimes life takes interesting turns.

In March of 1970, I was a senior in a high school in the Bronx (a borough of New York City).  In June of that year, I graduated, and matriculated that September into a commuter college about half a mile away. 

In October of 1970, I met my future husband, who was in one of my freshman classes.

Several months later I met his family (who did not live in the City), including his sister, who was then in elementary school.  She always enjoyed her visits to New York City, and eventually moved there.  Meanwhile, I, who never liked the city life, escaped as soon as I could.

Fast forward to 2021.

We are a year into a pandemic, the scope of which would have been hard to imagine in 1970.

Yesterday, I got a text from the woman who became my sister in law.  She attached a photo.  She told me she just got her first vaccine shot, and asked me to "guess where I got the vaccine".

The photo was of the front entrance of my high school. I recognized it right away. It hadn't changed much in 51 years except I think the color of the doors is different. I haven't been in the building since I graduated. I was supposed visit it last year for an alumni reunion but COVID took care of that.

We texted back and forth a little. She told me about walking from the subway stop, and passing by my college on the way to my high school. This neighborhood is nowhere near where she usually travels in the City, and she was there only because it was where appointments were available.  But, here she was, walking (so to speak) in my 51 year old footsteps.

Now, imagine someone came to me in March of 1970 and told me about these parts of my future.

Would I have believed them?