Do you have any green bananas?

A review of any newspaper at this time of the year will reveal a number of schools announcing reunions. In fact, our local paper recently had over 30 announcements detailing the date and location of various reunions and asking for the graduates to contact the committee if they have not already done so. Both my wife Mary and I will be celebrating our 50th high school reunion this year. Mine -- Servite High School. Hers -- Dominican High School. It is a time for reminiscing and an attempt to recognize classmates who have dramatically changed over the years.

All of us like to think we have retained our boyish and girlish style and figures, but if that were the case there would not be a need to post our high school graduation pictures on badges and then affix those pictures to our shirt or blouse. When our classmates look at our graduation picture and then compare it with our current countenance there might just be some minor changes. Perhaps a bit of gray has surfaced in the hairline -- if there is a hairline. Maybe that svelte quarterback physique has changed a bit and maybe the "It" girl is now wearing orthopedic nylons. But whatever the case, reunions are always fun.

Our Servite High School reunion will be at Frankenmuth, Mich., the Fried Chicken Capital of the Nation. To date, more than 100 grads and spouses will be attending. It will cover three days. Our last reunion was three years ago for our 47th year. It was so much fun we decided to gather again for the 50th.

My wife Mary will also celebrate her 50th reunion when grads from the now-closed Dominican High School in Detroit will gather at the Lochmoor Club in Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Dominican was a private girls' school staffed by nuns. Perhaps a few might even return for the event and don the habit and scapular that made them so distinctive. As I reviewed a list of upcoming reunions in a recent paper, one in particular caught my eye. The notice stated the 1936 graduating class of Pontiac High School would be holding its 75th reunion later this month. Yes -- 75 years! My curiosity got the best of me so I called the number listed and talked to a delightful lady who was coordinating the reunion. She indicated that about 12 grads had already responded and she was expecting several more. All the grads are either 92 or 93 years old, and as she indicated, few are now buying green bananas. What a great sense of humor. Many of you who have attended reunions might agree with this observation. Reunions for the 10th and 25th year tend to bring out the worst in a lot of grads. People want to prance around like proud peacocks and brag endlessly about their accomplishments and impress the group with stories of exotic trips and Italian sports cars.

Once you reach the 50th reunion and beyond, it's more about settling into a serene lifestyle where the "dog-eat- dog" world of employment is a distant memory. People are more reticent and just enjoy the company of friends.

There will be the occasional discussion of physical ailments, grandchildren, assisted living home recommendations and upcoming operations. And someone might even offer a suggestion for a good plastic surgeon, but it will be a mellow gathering until we start doing the "chicken" to some rock-and- roll music. There will be lots of Frankie Avalon and Beach Boys music resonating down the halls of the hotel.

So if your school is celebrating a reunion this year make sure you attend. It will be a return to those carefree days many of us wish we could relive today.

Editor's Note: Bill Kalmar of Lake Orion, Mich., retired from Comerica Bank in 1993. He was then director of the Michigan Quality Council from 1993-2003 in the Gov. John Engler administration. He retired again in 2003 and now writes on a freelance basis. He was born in Fort Scott and lived in Mulberry until he was 4 years old. His grandfather John Linari owned a feed store in Mulberry and was the mayor for a number of years.