News flash… I just learned when a close friend “accidentally” spilled the beans that my (real) name will be inscribed on a …

…lifetime hall-of-fame wall at my alma mater during homecoming ceremonies on Saturday. Wow… who woulda thunk? But why didn’t anyone tell me?

When my friend let it slip out by saying, “see you Saturday” when we had no plans to see each other, I asked what that was about, and he fessed up. “Your name is being included on the lifetime alumni hall of fame wall during the homecoming ceremonies on campus. I thought you knew.”

Woops… no, I didn’t. You’d think I would have received an invitation?

I called a close friend in the Alumni Office who told me, “darn, we wanted to surprise you!”

I said, “well, if you wanted to surprise me, it would have been good to make sure I was going to be there, or arrange some kind of ruse to get me there. I didn’t know, and I have made other plans that can’t be changed on short notice.”

So rats … I will miss this recognition. My name is going up on that wall with about 30 others, so this isn’t a ceremony just for or about me. But it would have been nice to know in advance and plan to be there with friends of my campus years.

I do intend to attend a reunion of my student government leadership buddies tonight. It will be great to see the ol’ gang, some of whom were elected to public office and are still serving. I was among those who served in a very minor local non-partisan elective office then stepped into a role of “community leader emeritus.” (I’m “done” with politics.) I look forward to seeing my friends some of whom I have kept in contact via that ubiquitous social media platform.

It’s nice to know that my alma mater thinks enough of me to include my name on a “lifetime hall of fame,” joining the likes of many others much more famous, rich, and more recognized than lil’ ol’ me.

Life is short: appreciate the appreciation of contributions of yore.