I’m currently at my mother’s house, worn out, after a weekend of aggressive reunion-ing with my high school… um… people I thought I knew.
If you have a class reunion coming up and haven’t been to one, go this time. Its not at all weird and kind of refreshing. All in all it is a second chance to make a first impression, or so they say. Surprises, well, some… like the super shy, kind of freaky goth guy… who turned out to be level-headed and fascinating and someone I wish I could spend more time with. Some non-surprises, normal people in high school (rare though they were) are still normal and rather likeable. People I grew up with who weren’t friends got the chance to become friends. Twenty years, it seems, is time enough to heal wounds and calm raging hormones.
Turns out, nobody enjoyed middle school, not even the “popular” kids. And we all thought more highly of one another than we expressed then. Now we know how to say so.
And maybe that’s the most important change in two decades, we’ve learned to appreciate people and are free to enjoy one another. We all left wanting to see each other again, sooner this time.
Oh, and my middle child found a kindred spirit… he called him “the Tennessee version of me” on the ride home. I’m sure play dates will be requested whenever we visit Grandma. Funny, I’ve known “Tennessee-Me’s” parents since we were even younger than the kids are now. At middle boy’s age I was playing on the soccer team with his new pal’s dad.
It makes me miss small town life. Some of them are still in the same place where we grew up. They see each other, some work together. Middle boy’s new buddy even has an older sister who goes to the high school where all those reunioning adults graduated. Its kind of rhythmic to see life going on in the same small town.
And if any of them are reading this… thanks for giving me a second chance too. Hopefully I’m less insecure and obnoxious now. But I’m not counting on it.
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