Remembering the Class of 1977

by Ahmed E. Gure
Saturday, July 07, 2007

 

Thirty Years Ago today...............

 

July 7^th, 1977; for some it is just a date, but for many of us that was the day when we sat down for our high school final exam. A lot has happened since 7/7/77; we’ve seen the rise and fall of political regimes and most notably the crumbling of our nation.

The sad truth is that many people have lost their lives in the civil war and will not be able to rejoice in the 30^th anniversary of their secondary school examination. It is important that we come to terms with the fact that the war drastically changed all our lives.

30 years since that fateful day and we are all in different stages in our lives. We live in all corners of the globe, and we work in all different types of professions but the bond that we share brings us back to 7/7/77.

 

All of us can recall the days after secondary school; when we were first faced with the challenges of the real world. This was of course the obligatory military training we underwent at Halane Military Camp in Mogadishu. It is there where we made new friends and strengthened old ones.

 

After the military service, I speak for the masses when I remind you of the National Service. We all remember going to the elementary and intermediate schools and teaching the children all the different types of disciplines there was to learn. It was one of the times we were taught to give back to our community and to our nation. This act of charity should not be forgotten and should be exercised in today’s society to bring back the peace and tranquility that is missing from our homeland.

Some of us are successful and live full and happy lives; others are suffering somewhere. Some of us are pro-government while as others are in line for a revolution. Some of us are still patiently waiting for the day when all of Somalia will unite under one flag and one creed whereas others will fight to keep it disbanded. Regardless of what our position is politically or geographically we need to set aside our differences and remember the carefree days of 7/7/77.

For many of us, our children are now graduated, have graduated or will soon graduate. This places us in retrospective positions, as if we are reliving our 7/7/77 through their lives.

 

For all of us who have graduated that year, please join the following mailing list and fill out the form so you can connect with others of that year. From this networking group you can ignite the fire that was childhood friendships, see where they are in life, how they are doing; and most importantly just remember all that has happened since and reconnect.