So my class reunion was last weekend. I managed to make it. It’s the first one I have ever been to.
Because this was in the 20-year range, and because our school was so small, 4 years of classes got together to hold the reunion. A total of about 100 of us graduated in those 4 years. About 60 showed up to the reunion, all in all a very good turnout.
One of the advantages of such a small school was that we all definitely knew each other. Most everyone had married out of the classes, most had stayed in the same general area. Heck, the guy that’s been the headmaster of the school for the last 6 years was one of my classmates.
Unlike the stories I hear of many class reunions, this one was not uncomfortable, except for the fact that I knew who everyone was, but they didn’t know me. The cheerleaders were still perky, the good ole boys, even though they have been deputies and firemen for the last 18 years, still showed up with coolers full of beer in the back of their pickups. As always, I felt sorry for the spouses who had never met most of these people before.
Memories were flying. Things I had forgotten. To this day my graduation class is blamed for the fact that no class gets their actual diplomas until AFTER graduation is over without incident. AAAAAAND people pointed to me as one of the key instigators for that. Oh yeah, still infamous. Still talked about today.
But they still weren’t sure of who I was at first. People just stared. Once they figured out who I was they had to challenge others to guess.
See, it seems I reinvent myself every 5 years or so, each time more different than before. When I graduated high school I had long, blond hair… no mullet but a rattail way down my back. I was 115 lbs. I was the artsy, drama kid who wore the hell out of the most extreme 80s fashions. I was a non-conformist, consistently outspoken just to create controversy.
What showed up was someone with a fresh high and tight haircut of dark hair, 190 solid lbs. Much more reserved and quiet with an intense stare. Not at ALL what they were expecting. I will admit, the fact that I was the ONLY guy there without a pot-belly helped my ego.
I can’t say I miss them all so much. If I did I would have stayed in touch. They are all good people, though, and that reassurance of the existence of such a group of good people somewhere in the world helped.
But I did enjoy catching up on what had happened in some of their lives and there were old friendships that never felt like they had faded in the least. One in particular, one of the guys working for the sheriff’s office, just seemed like we picked up on a conversation that was interrupted yesterday, rather than 16 years ago when we last saw each other.
This “time passing” thing is sucking. It’s going way too fast.
so not the point of your post – but your natural hair color is dark. right?
don’t know why I fixed on that.
That’s funny that they didn’t know who you were, but it does make it interesting. My high school had it’s reunion the Saturday of Memorial Weekend. We have it every two or three years, and all the graduating classes are included. It wasn’t as large this year as in the past. I was the only one from my class, and I was pretty close to being the youngest graduate there. I graduated 27 years ago, so that tells you something. Our oldest attendee graduated in the Class of 1938. I have two women that I keep in close contact with from my class. My class was “that class”. It consisted of 10 girls and 20 boys, and all the teachers dreaded us when we moved up into the Jr/Sr High building. Yes, it was mainly the girls fault.
Sounds like all in all you had a great time. My reunion is next summer – hope it goes as well. If I go, that is…
So who are you going to be the next time I get to see you? Will I recognize you? It’s only been a year so maybe you will not have changed too much. I kind of like you the way I remember you.
Though change is good, I suppose.