Last night was a fun night. a bunch of old classmates from elementary and high school met a a nearby watering hole/ restaurant for dinner. I debated all day about going, but finally gave in and attended. My reasons for debating were few, but viable I thought.
First, it is about 20 miles from my house to the other town where the dinner was taking place. (It was in our town where we graduated.) Gas is $4.00 a gallon, so I figured on about $8.00 for a round trip, then added another 10.00 to `15.00 for dinner. Was it really worth it?
Secondly, my high school years were not the highlight years of my life. I suffered from severe acne all the way thru HS and was teased, taunted and bullied because of it. It made me stand out, and be different from all the rest. I couldn't participate in sports because I wasn't supposed to get hot and sweaty. This "shit" covered my body from head to waist, so sometime it would even bleed through my clothes. I became a recluse and shied away from things going on at school. I didn't want to be around those people who were my peers. They were cruel.
Now I realize that they didn't know any better. They had never seen another person with this affliction. But then, it was hurtful. So, did I want to spend a whole evening possibly with some of those hurtful people.
Prof said I should go. In fact, she threatened to kick my butt if I didn't go. "Go and have a good time and just forget what happened 50 years ago, Dad." So I went.
When I got there, I was right on time, but I was the last one to arrive. The first person I saw was a guy who I didn't recognize. I asked who he was when I got to my table, and found out that he was one of my closest friends in Jr. High. In high school, he had gotten his girlfriend "in trouble" and gotten married, but continued to go to school. I hadn't seen him since graduation. Another old friend that was there was a gal whom I hadn't seen since graduation either, but we had connected on Facebook. We had "run around together" in high school and found fun in remembering the mischief we had created both in and out of the classroom.
All in all, it was a super fun evening. I found out that I wasn't the only one to be bald, suffer from arthritis, and had gained weight. We had a great time. The years sort of slipped away for a few hours for all of us. We made plans to do it again in a couple of months. Maybe we can get a few more classmates to join us. We even took time to remember those of our class who have passed on. Unfortunately, the Vietnam War took a bite out of our class! I still think about and honor those who gave up their lives for us!
Peace,
JE
6 comments:
I am so glad that you decided to go. I knew that you would have a good time if you did. And I bet you weren't the only "single" there. I hope that you will continue to keep in touch with these old frends.
I have gone to 3 "official" class reunions over the years and had an absolutely wonderful time at each. Sadly, none of my classmates live anywhere near me and FL (where I went to school) is a loooooong way to go for dinner and remembering!
So glad you went and had a good time!
Curley, as a matter of fact, I was the only "single." One guy didn't bring his wife, and one gal didn't bring her husband. Both said that their spouses said "go" because they didn't think they would know anyone and would rather stay home. The rest all had their spouses along. But it didn't bother me! I had fun anyway!
Glad you went and had a good time, JE. It's interesting how those few years of school have such an impact on our lives.
Terry
Good for you...and see ..you had fun. It is always interesting to find out how other school mates felt when they were in school. It always feels as if we were the only shy or rejected one's...I find that is not true...most all of us were not comfortable in our shells. :)
wow im glad u had a good night! if u do it again make sure to tell us! we're really big fans of you and would love if you could come to our blog and maybe leave a comment or two! :)
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