Class Reunions – And Mixed Emotions

Class reunions are the darnedest thing, as are our memories of high school a half-century ago. I graduated from high school 50 years ago. I will admit to you that I was a terrible student. How I graduated from high school remains a mystery, especially when I examine my report card from 1975. I think they gave me a pass just to get rid of me – or maybe it was out of sympathy (or fear) because holding me back for another year of education was unthinkable.

I was one of those awkward kids who didn’t fit in. There was the “in” crowd – the jocks and the cheerleaders – and those who appeared on “It’s Academic,” a local high school whiz kid quiz game show. I was the face you couldn’t find in the crowd. I was among the dorks and geeks who mingled together alone in the lunchroom whose names would never be remembered. I don’t know where any of my high school buddies are today. We hung together for a time following high school, then – one by one – went our separate ways.

My 50th high school reunion just passed. Nothing against anyone, please understand. However, I learned early on at my 10th high school reunion that I had very little in common with anyone I attended high school with. I approached the 50th reunion with the same mindset. I wasn’t likely to have anything in common with anyone then either. Were it not for name tags, I wouldn’t recognize anyone.

We have changed a lot in 50 years.

I do have some observations from some of the reunions I’ve seen in recent times. What’s with pom-poms and cheerleaders who never left high school? They still perceive they are pom poms. I will add there is appropriate attire for a class reunion, and there are outfits best left in the closet. As you age, avoid wearing the clothing you wore in high school. Ladies, leave your sleeveless articles at home. And remember, short skirts and open shoulders just don’t work visually when you are approaching 70.

And gentlemen – don’t come to a class reunion in a worn and faded Jimi Hendrix or Grateful Dead tee shirt and rip-torn jeans. Don’t embarrass your significant other by looking like you just walked out of an auto repair shop or a tractor pull.

Got it, everyone?

Dress appropriately for the occasion and remember – you are not 18 anymore.

Then comes the awkward issue of what to talk about 50 years later. If you haven’t seen anyone since the Bicentennial, what on earth do you talk about? Worse yet, there’s always the schmuck who won’t wear a name tag and that uncomfortable moment when the person walks up and says, “Hey, Jimbo – been a long time!” and you haven’t the faintest idea who they are. Politics is best avoided, considering the divided nature of our country right now. You could wind up with a high school cafeteria-style fist fight just like old times.

Reunions can be a wonderful thing, reuniting old friends and acquaintances we haven’t seen in a long time. They also have to be put into perspective. We’ve all been on life’s journey for a long time.

We have each experienced life-changing events. Bask in the moment and embrace the memories and each other – and keep on keeping on.