Dan Tontz
To Lee Ayres and Reunion Decision-Makers —
Hi, Guys! This is to advise you that I will not attend our Reunion in October. I just returned from a three- week vacation in the Colorado Rockies. We were in southeastern Colorado in one of the top ten least risky Covid counties in the United States. I wish we had stayed longer. It was so pleasant and safe up there.
Now, I return to Dallas and what do I see? Dallas hospitals filled up with Covid patients, school kids with Covid, arguments over mask and vaccine requirements, class warfare between wealthy landlords and low income renters, etc.
Fast forward to October 8 in Wichita. The forecast of a spike in Delta variant cases this fall and winter has already become true. Wichita hospitals are filled up (also true now) and Delta deaths are rapidly increasing. Some of our classmates will get the booster shot, others not. Plus, some classmates will wear masks, others not. (Aaaaah, that lovely “freedom.”)
Plus, you can’t tell who has actually been vaccinated and who hasn’t. Some classmates are Covid super spreaders, but they don’t know it. Worse, you don’t recognize some masked classmates because all you can see are their eyes. Worst, it’s too risky to hug our dear friends.
Unfortunately, I am in the high-risk category because of my health issues and history. Some of my classmates have similar underlying health conditions, and we are all way, way over age 65. So the Reunion is not a risk that I want to encounter. If any of us were to have a stroke or heart attack — good luck getting into a Wichita hospital.
My sister’s Southeast High class of 1965 has already cancelled their reunion for the weekend before ours. I recommend we do the same and cancel ours.
In the meantime let’s keep our Reunion Website going. Marilyn, Diane, and Fred are doing a great job. As requested, I am donating some money to help cover their expenses. The website is a great way to stay in contact. More of us need to join Skip and others in doing their part by writing stories.
Our goal should be to have a wonderful in-person Reunion after Covid is through with us.
Much love to each of you!
Dan
Comment from David Kroenlein, 9/3/21
Dan,
I agree with your excellent points. We are foregoing travel to see friends and family for the foreseeable future, and would not have made the trip to Wichita for the reunion for many of the reasons you cited.
We lived in a bubble for more than a year of the pandemic in Williamsburg, VA, where our son and his family provided links to shopping. We are now back and forth between NY and VA, and have found NY a more secure environment (except for Ida) with folks masking up, with or without vaccinations. We feel much more secure with our vaccinations and are looking forward to booster eligibility, but we know that the vaccination is not a panacea.
I am grateful for the work of the website editors to maintain a lively website, and appreciate the effort of Lee and his team in planning a reunion.
Looking forward to healthier times and visiting with friends.
David
