The evening of Nov. 14 was a step back in time for me when I attended the 30-year reunion of the Manalapan High School class of 1978. A good number of people showed up at the American Legion hall in Freehold Borough for an evening of friendship and memories.

I was a little anxious about attending a reunion. I had not been to any of the previous class reunions and was wondering what it would be like to see people with whom I had shared a part of my life decades ago.

There was no need to worry, however, and the evening was a great success. It turns out that people you had things in common with then are still the kind of people you want to be around now. There is a comfort level that time cannot erode.

The most difficult part of the reunion was trying to figure out who everyone was and not just asking, "Who are you?"

In most cases it wasn't difficult to recognize a fellow classmate, although I was stumped by the appearance of a few people. Time and gravity can do that, I suppose. My classmates said I looked the same, with the exception of the thinning hair atop my head.

But on the whole, the members of the class of 1978 who showed up looked good. In fact, a few of the ladies looked like they could walk the halls of Manalapan High School today and not be too out of place.

I cannot say the same for myself about blending in with today's high school students, nor would I have a snowball's chance you know where to take the wrestling mat at 101 pounds for the Manalapan Braves. Those days are long gone. In fact, getting taken down might lead to me not getting up.

I spent most of the evening at the reunion moving around the room, renewing acquaintances. People were talking about the places they have lived, their children, their jobs, their marriages and divorces, and the friends we have lost along the way. Later, some people sat down for more personal conversation.

At one point in the evening Jim Domiano

reminded us that he had been the football team's mascot and could be seen every week running around the football field waving his tomahawk.

I told him if he tried doing that at a Manalapan High School football game today he would be arrested immediately, charged with bringing a weapon to school, sent for psychological counseling and possibly expelled. It's a different era, I guess. Zero tolerance.

The credit for organizing the reunion belongs to our classmate Patti Firestine, who used an Internet Web site to corral a lot of people and made certain that everything came together on Nov. 14. Everyone appreciated her effort to bring the class of 1978 together once more.

I am told that some people who could not make it to New Jersey on Nov. 14 were in the area for Thanksgiving and held a gettogether with other Manalapan High School grads. Those alumni probably discovered what I learned — that while time and distance may separate a group of people, the bonds that made them a class once before keep them a class until the end.

Mark Rosman is the managing editor of the Tri-Town News.