The 20th High School Reunion
I can't believe the time has come. We have been out of school some 20 years! Tonight is our class' 20-yr. high school class reunion. It took some chiding, along with some self-motivation, to bring it all together, but... in the end, the plans were finalized and the classmates came.
I had the best of hopes that I would make it tonight, but things happen, and I was unable to be there. It makes me very sad to imagine all my friends together, after all these years, having fun and catching up on their lives, without me there;( We grew up in a farm community, and a school where you knew everyone there. Over the past months, many of us reconnected through the social website, Facebook. We're all in contact and I think it will be that way for some time to come. We're just really good friends like that=)
As I sat here, wondering what my classmates were doing, if they were having fun and enjoying each other's company (which, I knew they were;), my phone rang. It was one of my friends from high school! She was at the reunion and wanted to fill me in... telling me who showed up, how "so-and-so" looked different (but, nice) and that they were all having a really great time! She wanted to know if I wanted to speak to anyone, in particular, at the reunion. It was tough to pick, so she did that for me;) She picked two very good friends I really do miss! I talked to the one who told me not to worry... that, she was taking tons of pictures and she would upload them to the website. We talked for a few minutes, then I talked to the other friend. This friend's voice seemed very different from what I recall, but she was still the same nice person she's always been! I felt soooooo much better getting off the phone with them. They made my night;)
A few of us are already starting to plan our 25th reunion=) It will be very nice to see everyone again. We have so many things in common, so many things to catch up on. Who would've thought, a class of less than 100 would turn out to be such good friends!? It wasn't always that way in high school. Like most schools, there were certain cliques... the popular ones, the nerds, the wild kids, the ones who got along with most everyone and the ones who marched to their own beat. It's amazing, really, how we've all grown, matured and changed, and... 20 years later, have been able to rediscover each other and become fast friends, as if we were always that way=) It's very exciting, to say the least!
I truly believe, our class (our school!) is one of the very best there is! I suppose, part of it has to do with growing up in such a close-knit community, too. There wasn't much lying, sneaking around and cutting class for us... for, we knew, things like that would undeniably get back to our folks. I remember several times being "caught" and my mom saying, "I keep tellin you, you're not getting away with anything. There are too many eyes paying attention." That IRKED me, back then. I was the defiant, stubborn teen who just knew it was my "right" to know who saw what;) Eventually, I learned... there is NO use doing things I shouldn't in this community. You WILL get caught!
Despite that fact, I am now very appreciative and thankful that those people did look after me and care about what I was doing. You don't see that it communities much anymore, and... it's sad. Kids need that supervision. I was blessed with wonderful parents, who had my best interests at heart; neighbors, friends and family who cared enough about me and my brother to steer us in the right direction; schools, staff and teachers who upheld the epitome of what good schools and a good education are all about. We were truly blessed!
I'm extremely proud of each and every one of my classmates. We've grown, we've changed, we've evolved, as human beings. Some of us went to college, others went into the military, and still, others chose trade school or work, right after high school. Some of us are white, some of us are black, some asian, some multiracial. Despite all of our differences, we all have much more in common, than not. We are true, and lasting, friends.
Comments
Thank you, so much, gmwilliams;)
This is such a beautiful hub.
Hi, D;) Thank you for your feedback and insights. Now that I'm grown and have had much life experience, I can now see that, yes... the time we spent in high school is a very awkward time, for all of us. It's hard to see that when you're actually living the experience, and especially if you're NOT the popular, priveledged one! I wasn't popular, nor was I one of the ones who experienced the worst of the worst. I had my moments, but... overall, I came out of it unscathed;) I'd have to say, our senior year was the best (for me). Graduation was very emotional, a time when the majority of our class- regardless of social status, etc.- came together and really bonded. It was hard to say goodbye... to friends and friendships, teachers and other staff, our beloved school (which is now the junior high school;0) and to the people we had grown to be. The funny part, is... many of us have reconnected again, but not through traditional means (letter, phone, in-person)! We all connected back up through Facebook;) It's been amazing, really! Classmates I thought I'd never see again, people we thought would never come around have surfaced through this social medium. It has definitely been like one, huge reunion;) This was a simple remembrance, of sorts, I wrote as we were in the beginning stages of reunion planning. I'm glad you found something within my words you could identify with. I truly enjoy that part of writing... when others connect with what you write and you, as a person. Thanks, again, and have a super day!
I had a very similar experience in planning and attending my class reunion. Our 20 year was our first and it was a very life changing experience. That is the one thing that I wish those that didn't attend could have experienced - the loss of labels and the new found sense of community and friendship. Let's face it, high school is a trying experience for everyone regardless of if your popular or not. Regardless of what group you gravitate towards, everyone is scared, insecure and confused and just making it through it in the best way that they can. It's an awkward period that exists between childhood and adulthood, and we all make some bad choices at this time. I never realized until I became involved in the planning how long this baggage stays with you. It was a wonderful experience being able to "go back" and deal with all of those things as an adult; life's to short to carry around those grudges forever, and you don't realize how heavy they were until you actually confront them. I was surprised at how many of them I was still carrying around that I thought I had let go of a long time ago. It was a great experience for all that attended.
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