Something amazing is
happening. And I wanted to share it with
the rest of the Ames High School Alumni world.
In preparation for our
forthcoming 25-year class reunion, fellow classmate from AHS ’92, Scott Belzer,
has used technology and social media to bring some wonderful fruits of joy into
the world. Belzer has volunteered his
time to interview other classmates from 1992 in a podcast series that allow us
to more fully express ourselves in a 90-120 minute raw, uncut, and surreal
way. Nearly 20 of our fellow classmates
have stepped up and shared their most intimate details of their lives, their
perceptions, and their challenges in this interview series that allows us to work
to reconcile our youth.
Belzer was inspired to dig
deeper into the past and current lives of our fellow AHSers following
interactions he had at the 20th year class reunion a few years ago.
Reunions allow us to spend a couple of days together in real time, yes, but
only afford us a few minutes of connection and conversation with so many of
these classmates which make up the foundation of experiences and faces of our
youth. Belzer provides open space, a
caring and listening ear, and mindful acceptance for the ’92 graduates to share
their story. There have been lots of
laughter, memories, some tears, and some very sobering details of our journey
through life that classmates have shared.
Utilizing Facebook as a
vehicle to offer the opportunity to connect with classmates and volunteers has
stepped up to share their intimate stories of their journeys. A majority of the interviews have been done
via Skype from locations across the country and, literally, across the
world. One interview has been done in
person, on location in Chicago and there may or may not have been beers
involved at the 11am convergence on a Thursday—very telling of the class of
’92.
From this podcast series, a
few have taken avow to change the course of their lives. One stepped up and moved himself across the
country to realign himself with his passions for movie and television
production. Another vowed to reconnect
with long lost friends from high school that she had left in the shadows of her
memory quite some time ago, but felt compelled to rekindle those formative
relationships to complete the puzzle of who she is today. And yet another classmate talked of this
interview and reflection process reawakening some of the fundamental
excitements and passions that they used to do in life, but had “outgrown,” only
to wake up to the fact that they still desired to do them again today.
Altogether, this has been a
fascinating project to follow and support.
Belzer has single-handedly allowed a group of friends from disparate
parts of the globe to learn more about themselves, the limitless directions in
life, and the humility and joy of knowing that we are all still walking down
similar hallways in life, doing our best to laugh, love, and grow. I would encourage other AHS Alumni to
consider launching such a worthwhile project such as this. Together and forever, Ames Hi Aims High.
Sincerely,
Spenser Villwock
AHS class of 1992