25 years ago I vaguely remember going to Colby College for our high school graduation. Young and full of ideas, hopes and dreams I listened as our keynote speaker began talking about where life might take us, and what we might expect from our futures.
It's safe to say I was in the top 10% of my class, and graduated with the gold cord around my neck, same as my mother did back in 1961. I had no college dreams, my mother was a single mother in a time when that wasn't the norm-and she struggled to keep food on the table and keep me from working during high school so I could use my time to study. Luckily, I also lived with my grandparents-although my grandfather died when I was a 15 yr old freshman. Life wasn't easy when you don't have money, and although I had dreams to go to college and to BE someone-it just didn't happen when you are the only child and needed to help out at home after you graduate.
At times, I am upset with myself for not going to college. But right now, having a steady job with or without degree is certainly challenging enough-and I am grateful that I am among the fortunate. Apparently we have a 25 year class reunion planned and several of my high school buddies want me to go.
Sure, I am curious as to how everyone is looking nowadays. But with classmates.com and other social media websites it really doesn't take too much effort to track someone down if they want to be found. Now if I still looked like I did in 1984 I might be willing to go... lol. Parts that were once youthful and perky are now following the rules of gravity, other parts have expanded so that I now resemble the beached whale on the Animal Planet special, and I feel like my wrinkles will rival that of a Shar Pei within the next several years. I liked my hair light, but now it's turning white, and after the birth of my kids my once healthy head of hair decided to shed like a long haired housecat losing its winter fur. Now, I have to struggle to comb over the "female pattern balding" going on and wondering if I will end up wearing a wig later in life.
And not to mention that the icons of my day are dying! God, does that make me feel ancient. Just today, we lost Farrah Fawcett (I was so darn jealous that my boyfriend put her poster in his room, I even ended up getting the haircut so I could look like her! lol) And then Michael Jackson, where back in the day I tried to imitate his moonwalk and danced to Thriller-which was the longest video ever! It's strange how someone had just suggested MJ songs for our reunion and today he's gone.
Another factor-what about the cliques? You know, the mean girls? Yes, they existed even back then. Will they still be huddled in a corner someplace flashing their huge diamonds and tanned bodies, manicured nails and dazzling smiles while laughing at how the rest of the class has turned out? And what about the handsome football player? Is he balding with a paunch and currently out of work? Hmmm, the class loser-how did he get so sexy looking AND rich? Or will everyone just be nice to everyone else and let the past be the past? Sure, there will be successful alumni and not so successful alumni. People that have been married, and divorced-and married again, like myself. High school sweethearts that are still together. And other grandparents too.
I have a few more days to make up my mind whether I will attend the evening function or not. Hubby doesn't want to go. And I have about 5-6 female buddies from back in the day that are attending alone too, for whatever reason. They are having a free get together during the day at the local playground for families and to show off the kiddos. I am thinking about taking Deja to that event, which is safe. Give me the evening event, a few Sex on the Beaches and I might not be so nice. My buddies laugh, they know me. A little liquid courage goes a long way, and that snobby jerk who still can't be nice at the reunion would get an earful (25 years worth) from me. I wasn't in any particular clique, thank God, but had friends from all different groups and it worked out well. But a few people I know SO wanted to be noticed all those years ago, got laughed at, made fun of, and treated badly. And I know that they still want to be noticed, after all these years. I'm hoping that at least their old crush will be cordial and pleasant-but not cruel. After all, we're adults now, right?
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