High School Reunions. Have you ever gone to any of yours?
I blogged, a couple of days ago, about being invited to my 50th high school reunion, which will take place in June of 2020.
It brought back memories of the one reunion I ever went to - my husband's 40th.
I originally wrote this post on October 16, 2010 - nine years and a few days ago. Today, I rerun it, with some music and editing.
I called it "Forever Young".
The Dancing Queen. No longer 17.
The administrator for a children's hospital on the West Coast. The merger and acquisitions lawyer up from Washington DC. The school psychologist practicing in Virginia. The financial consultant. The grandmother of three fresh from a trip to Hawaii. The produce clerk. The man taking constant phone calls because his father was in the hospital, a thousand miles away.
What did we all have in common? Six hours of dancing, talking, sharing email addresses, and looking at old photos.
A 40th high school reunion.
Not mine, but my husband's. One of his friends organized it. Before last night I had only met one of these people, and to my amazement, I recognized him the minute I saw him. My husband was already in college when I met him so this was a part of his life that I was never able to share.
Until now.
There was the woman who, surveying the room, said to me "This is surreal". Yes it was and I bet everyone who goes to a reunion (especially the 30th, the 40th, and beyond) thinks the same thing. When you age, the people you knew in your childhood (if you don't see them as adults) are frozen in time. The people you went to high school with are, in your mind, forever 17 and 18. Even if they are really 58 or 60.
Until you go to the reunion, that is, and this is the surreal part. You walk into the room and see a bunch of middle aged people just like you. Some look like their yearbook photos. Many do not. Many of us grey, all of us wrinkled, some of us in shape, others not so much. Some of us have achieved great things. Some have lived the lives they had planned to live but for many of us our lives have taken many unexpected directions. Some good, some not.
We are older, wiser. We accept the class clown, we reminise about old antics, we laugh with and hug the classmate who had too much to drink and is now trying to cry on everyone's shoulder. We know this moment isn't going to be forever. We know when we have the next reunion we will be near 70. Maybe we should have these more often.
Will we do that?
Or will we be reabsorbed into our daily lives? Only time will tell.
But for that one night we were....forever young.
The administrator for a children's hospital on the West Coast. The merger and acquisitions lawyer up from Washington DC. The school psychologist practicing in Virginia. The financial consultant. The grandmother of three fresh from a trip to Hawaii. The produce clerk. The man taking constant phone calls because his father was in the hospital, a thousand miles away.
What did we all have in common? Six hours of dancing, talking, sharing email addresses, and looking at old photos.
A 40th high school reunion.
Not mine, but my husband's. One of his friends organized it. Before last night I had only met one of these people, and to my amazement, I recognized him the minute I saw him. My husband was already in college when I met him so this was a part of his life that I was never able to share.
Until now.
There was the woman who, surveying the room, said to me "This is surreal". Yes it was and I bet everyone who goes to a reunion (especially the 30th, the 40th, and beyond) thinks the same thing. When you age, the people you knew in your childhood (if you don't see them as adults) are frozen in time. The people you went to high school with are, in your mind, forever 17 and 18. Even if they are really 58 or 60.
Until you go to the reunion, that is, and this is the surreal part. You walk into the room and see a bunch of middle aged people just like you. Some look like their yearbook photos. Many do not. Many of us grey, all of us wrinkled, some of us in shape, others not so much. Some of us have achieved great things. Some have lived the lives they had planned to live but for many of us our lives have taken many unexpected directions. Some good, some not.
We are older, wiser. We accept the class clown, we reminise about old antics, we laugh with and hug the classmate who had too much to drink and is now trying to cry on everyone's shoulder. We know this moment isn't going to be forever. We know when we have the next reunion we will be near 70. Maybe we should have these more often.
Will we do that?
Or will we be reabsorbed into our daily lives? Only time will tell.
But for that one night we were....forever young.
Joining Mary at Jingle Jangle Jungle and her Rocktober Music Festival.
Day 22 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost
Day 22 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost
Alana,
ReplyDeleteWe went to two of DH's class reunions - 10th and 20th. We never attended any of mine, though. I don't think I want. I prefer to remember everyone as they were and they can think of me the same. lol Honestly, I'm sure there would be few among the sea of faces that I'd actually recognize anyhow and those would be the ones I've kept up with on FB. It amazes me to see how much one changes over time. I think the thing that alters everyone's appearance the most is weight gain. There are some who I'd never guess in a million years who they are if I didn't have a name. I remember going to DH's 10th year and one of my old friends married one of his classmates. She was at least 40 to 50 pounds heavier and by that time wearing classes. She seemed a lot shorter than I remembered, too. It took her telling me who she was before the bell in my head to go ding-ding-ding. Today, I'm not sure even if someone tells me a name if that would happen because too many years have slipped by. Age is a cruel thing sometimes but I guess worse is how we allow ourselves to become disconnected by those we cherished long ago. The reunion you attended sounded like a huge success and hopefully you guys can go to the 50th one next year. That would be a fun one, I bet!
So true.I haven't attended any of my high school reunion after the first one.Interesting reading about your husband's 40th reunion.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating experience! This is truly a gift to me now well over a decade out of school but still with many years left before the 50th reunion. It really has me thinking about my own life and how I choose to live it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to any of my reunions. Good song!
ReplyDeleteMust be an interesting experience.
ReplyDeleteMy significant other grew up in the next town over from mine. Went to his 40th reunion a couple of years ago and found out he attended school with a guy named Bob. I knew Bob because his daughter and mine were best friends in high school.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to any of mine, I think because I'm so far away at this point but honestly, the people I care about I'm already in contact with and see when I go home.
ReplyDeleteI just love how much fun you had a a reunion that wasn't even yours.
When I went to my 50th in 2017, it's like we were still all in high school and while we aged some, we were still kids at heart.
ReplyDeleteI dunno- when I went to my 40th reunion, they all looked old. (I didn't go to my 50th.)
ReplyDeleteMy 45th is coming up next year and I look forward to attending. Many old friends have reconnected on social media. My class only had one reunion after we were out about 13 years so it should be interesting to get back with people after so long.
ReplyDeleteI wish I were forever young, and still had all the energy of my youth.
ReplyDelete