2008-07-13

Reunion.

I've started thinking about my 20-year high school reunion.

Because it's in November, and it's now July, and that's how I roll.

I'm still on the fence with this one. A couple of things have me leaning towards NOT going. One is that most of my friends graduated the year ahead of me, and of those friends, I'm in regular contact with the ones who mean the most to me. I don't need to play polite catch-up with any of them because I know what they're up to.

The other is that I went to the 10-year, and it was just on the cusp of miserable. Slightly interesting, but mostly depressing. I was still drinking at the time, and it hadn't gotten totally out of hand at that point, so I was able to get just drunk enough to be somewhat entertained by the fact that everyone was still clumping together in the same groups. The popular kids all hung together. The Student Council kids not only all hung together, but they were all living in and around the DC area. The "bad girls" were all smoking in the ladies' room. And I, ever the odd duck in a room full of swans, tried to make nice with all of them, with varying degrees of success. It was just not far enough out to have broken down some of those self-imposed barriers, social and otherwise.

10 more years have passed, and I'd like to think that life has leveled the playing field for all of us. There undoubtedly have been divorces, lost jobs, circumstances that have injected some sorely-needed perspective and humility into the mix. Many people have told me that the 20th is the year to go, if you're going to go at all.

I'm still emotionally retarded enough to sit and wonder who got fat, who went bald, and to glean a fair amount of schadenfreude from such speculation. I'm emotionally retarded enough to want to lose 10 pounds before I go, even though I don't need to. And I'm emotionally retarded enough to think about creating some fabulous, entirely fictional life for myself, because I am afraid my actual life is simply not interesting enough to talk about in a room full of people I haven't seen in 20 years. Like I should go in with an entourage, a bunk-ass weave, and $4.99 drugstore sunglasses and keep everyone guessing as to why I'm bedecked with the accessories of "celebrity."

But when I look at the reality of it, I'm pretty much a success story. I work in the field in which everyone guessed I probably would, albeit in an entirely different capacity. I haven't skimped or compromised myself on the important things, and for the most part, I've held my ground. I don't make a shit ton of money or own property, but I live in a nice place with the biggest, porniest shower ever. I have a few great people in my life that I know have my back.

And I have really good skin.

My brother has the BEST high school reunion story of anyone I know. He went to a private, Catholic, all-boy's high school, and at the last reunion, some woman got up and stood with his group for the class photograph. I'll let y'all do the math there.

lisamcc at 11:44 a.m.



3 comments so far
Beauty Junkie
2008-07-13 16:12:09
Hi, new reader here. I didn't even bother to go to my 10 year because I knew I'd be miserable. I'm not bothering to go to any future reunions either because I don't need to be in a room full of people acting like they are somebody special when I know I turned out pretty well. Sounds mean... but really in the grand scheme of things it's all that matters, right?
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lj lindhurst
2008-07-14 17:02:17
Lisa, I went to my 20-year reunion just last August. I was just like you--the odd duck out, didn't really fit in with any one group, always on the weird/arty cusp, friends with all the drama club gays, band, etc. (to make matters worse, I was also president of the freakin DEBATE club). But anyway--I too was like, eh, I'm not going to that stupid reunion! Why bother...but I did go. And I'm glad I went--I had SO much fun, and got back in touch with some people I hadn't seen in YEARS. Childhood friends, people I went to KINDERGARTEN with. It was really a great night, and something I will always remember. You should definitely go. What's the worst that could happen? You have a miserable evening. so what. (OK there's my 2 cents)
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Jonny
2008-07-15 18:51:03
I say go! I went to my 20th (HHS no less) - and it was the first one I could bring myself to go to. (For all the same reasons you posted above.) Everyone was puffy - but pretty much the same, and I had some great conversations with folks I hadn't been friendly with since 6th grade. I also had some great conversations with people I never really knew. I even had MORE THAN ONE of my personal tormentors tell my wife I was, "the funniest freakin' kid in school." I was shocked - amazed! "Then why did you make my life a living hell?" I wondered. I've since concluded that their mommies didn't love them. I say go. I had a million laughs and some stimulating chit-chat. And if I weren't married, I know I could have gotten laid. I JUST KNOW IT!!! Jonny
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