There’s nothing like the dichotomy of a high school reunion to remind you of two things.
1. You haven’t changed one bit since high school &
2. You’ve changed so much you hardly recognize yourself.
I know that sounds a bit strange but for me it’s absolutely true. The part of me that hasn’t changed is the part that likes to be in the middle of the party whooping it up and having a great time. I fretted about what to wear and I spent a lot of time getting ready. I also partied and whooped it up with the people I partied and whooped it up with in high school.
The part of me that has changed so much is the part that recognizes that while that person still lives inside me, she is not me anymore. The second night of the shin dig I was more subdued. I didn’t even go out with the usual suspects to the bar after the dinner. I had a couple of nice conversations. Mostly I talked to my friends that are still close friends that I keep in contact with.
I spent a great deal of time in high school feeling like a bit of a misfit. I wasn’t easily categorized into one social group or another, so instead I marched to my own drum beat. I loved heavy metal music, big hair and small clothes, went to every football game and was a cheerleader for a season, spent one season in drama club, one season on the soccer team, and lots of time figuring out ways to acquire copious amounts of alcohol. My junior year I missed more classes than I attended and my senior year I busted my butt to make sure I graduated.
It was a time of great flux and stress and fun and to be honest I don’t remember a great deal about it. When I graduated I vowed never to look back. But I haven’t been able to pull that off. I’m still quite close with a handful of people I grew up with and have rekindled some friendships through Facebook that are far more interesting now than they ever were then.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the reunion this weekend. Besides letting loose and having a great time I was also able to step back and look at then and now and reflect on where I’ve come in my life and where I am going. 20 years has come and gone in the blink of an eye. If nothing else, this reunion has instilled in me the notion that we only get one shot and we need to make the most of it.
