2001: Your Smith Odyssey

25^th Reunion for the Great Class of 1976

"A Day in the Life, the Class of 1976" REUNION BOOK

At Smith, we used to ask each other the little questions like, "Who's your roommate this year? What section of Gov 100 are you in? Is the pond frozen enough to skate on?" Well, we're still asking that type of questions, but now we're interested in the answers that apply to your life today. Answers to "What's new with you? What are doing with your life?" are certainly easier (and perhaps more insightful) than the answer to "What have you done for the last 25 years?!"

We will be compiling your thoughts for a class book, which will be available at reunion time. The book will be titled "A Day in the Life, the Class of 1976." Our idea is to have everyone write a one-page entry centered on one day in early April 2001. The entry would include all pertinent contact information and could include thoughts on current family situation, job, pets, volunteer commitments, and health, whatever you wish to tell us! Pick a weekday if you want to write about your workplace; pick a weekend day if you want to write about home and family or travel. We chose this flexible plan for the book to give everyone an opportunity to be creative and give us a sense of how you devote your time. You may also include photos (less writing) or artwork or poetry - the limit is just one page.

Some tips for your entry: Use anecdotes when you can; the little details enhance the narrative. Include your feelings about what you do -- instead of just what you do. It's okay to include info about the past 25 years -- we're not banning the historical stuff. It's especially interesting when it is included for comparison purposes, "Today I worked part-time as a special education teacher (it's certainly more rewarding than when I was CEO of General Motors)". Look for the uniqueness in your life. (An example is included on the reverse side, but please make your page reflective of your own life).

Deadline: APRIL 20^th. In order to have the books ready for reunion, we must hold fast to this deadline. You may submit your entry as follows: 1. (preferred). Hard copy submission to Anne O'Connell, 91 Oaks Road, Framingham, MA 01702. Please send all photos to me in hard copy - my computer will probably quit with a photo submission. Your page must be LEGIBLE and COPYABLE!, or 2. E-mail submission in WORD or text format only to anneoc@rcn.com. I will send you a confirmation e-mail once we receive your entry.

The books will be available at reunion at no cost to REGISTERED '76 attendees

Even if you can't make it to reunion, please consider submitting an entry. If you would like to have a copy of the book mailed to you, please send a $12 check payable to Smith College Class of 1976 along with your submission, and we will mail you a copy in May. It's a great way to be part of the 2001: Smith Odyssey.

Questions? Call or e-mail the contact numbers listed below. For other information about reunion, please refer to newsletter and packet from Smith. Don't miss the April 20^th deadline - send us your entry right away! Looking forward to hearing from you!

Anne O'Connell and Sally Scott Moser

(508) 872-0361 (610) 525-3651

anneoc@rcn.com ssm301@aol.com

SAMPLE PAGE

Anne O'Connell

91 Oaks Road

Framingham, MA 01702

(508)872-0361 anneoc@rcn.com

My day (March 21st) started around 6:00 am when my husband Jack brought me a cup of coffee (half decaf as too much caffeine bothers me now...). I love to drink my coffee in bed and read for an hour or so before my son gets up. Today I am actually reading (and thoroughly enjoying) "Moby Dick", choice of my Smith Book Club. The book's language is terrific; I never knew that it was so funny.

After getting my son off to school, I went for a walk with my neighbor MaryAnn. I usually walk by myself and contemplate my day but sometimes it's fun to go with her. We walk and talk for about an hour on the streets of Framingham, jumping snowbanks, ice, and mud when we have to. I have always enjoyed walking for exercise but this is the first winter that I have actually kept it up through the nasty weather (I plan to add weightlifting or some such for pre-Reunion self-improvement--right!).

Yes, I am unemployed at the moment. In January, I quit my job as a reading tutor in an elementary school to spend more time on the important things in life. So what am I doing? My morning brings meetings for the PTO at my son's public elementary school. I AM the PTO President and it is a completely thankless job (that I am quite good at!). However, being involved in the schools has both made me much more interested in the local politics and given me a wonderful group of friends, the parents of my son's schoolmates. (I will digress from my narrative to tell you that I have only one child and he's a wonderful kid. I am so proud of Rory -- in particular his ability to be a good friend. I hope that you get a chance to meet him at reunion.)

At home in the afternoon, while Rory and his friend enjoyed the first spring day on their scooters, I did a little sewing on several projects. I love to sew and try to spend a little time each day. I have three beautiful, but unfinished quilts in my living room, the result of a "quilt-a-thon" at a local fabric store. I helped coordinate the event and now must finish the quilts which will be given to a group, called "Friends Fighting Breast Cancer." They auction or raffle off the quilts and the proceeds go to cancer research.

I have worked on this project for the last four years but I never imagined that I, too, would develop breast cancer. After surgery and radiation last summer and continuing drug therapy, I am OK. My life will never be the same but then again, it will never be that sort of crisis. Cancer is tough but you learn to deal with it -- easy words to write but I still can't talk about my experience!

This evening, I spent some time talking to my brother in Montana who is getting re-married this summer and we plan to drive to the wedding. I've never driven cross country and I'm really looking forward to sights and friends along the way. Mt. Rushmore, here we come!

So what's important to me now? (I'm sure that you noticed that I don't spend any of my time on housekeeping or cooking!) I'm committed to "being there" for my son and husband, helping my mother, sister, and brothers, going for a walk everyday, reading good books, staying in better touch with all my friends to whom I am immensely grateful, trying not to be over-committed but helping out with most projects anyway, and trying to stay healthy! I'm also trying hard to avoid all the things/people that make my life too complicated or difficult (like the endodontist)! I know that I will go back to work sometime soon (Jack keeps asking....) but I'm not sure what I will be doing. I don't feel that any doors are closed to me, even at this age. Who knows what I'll do next?

Looking forward to seeing all of you at Reunion! Scout