I went to my 40th high school reunion yesterday

[Lydia Leftcoast]

and to tell the truth, I was not looking forward to it. High school was an unhappy time for me, and I never fit in, partly due to my own personality and interests and partly due to having an overprotective mother who didn't let me do anything. Some of my classmates were downright mean, while others ignored me. A few were nice. A lot of kids were crying after our graduation ceremony back in 1968, but I was elated, happy to have survived that phase of my life.

I didn't know what to expect when I walked into the venue last night, but it was a pleasant surprise. Some people were instantly recognizable while others looked so different that they had seemingly been replaced by ringers with the same name. Everyone who saw me was delighted to see me, and many hugged me. Everyone was talking to everyone else and taking pictures of everyone else. We pored over yearbooks and laughed at what we looked like. I had long conversations with people I hadn't known well in those days. We wondered what had happened to the 12 classmates (out of 225) who had died since graduation. We caught up on what everyone was doing as we ate food from a lavish buffet and drank overpriced drinks.

When the DJ started the playlist of 1960s hits, about half the people there (mostly women, almost no men) flocked to the center of the room and danced.

I had a GREAT time.

As I was dancing amidst the throng I thought back to a topic that the priests at our church are always talking about. "This is what reconciliation feels like."

[blueknight]

1. good for you!

life is very funny sometimes! sometimes things we really dread doing turn out to be ok.

[Stuart G]

2. I went to my 40th three or four yours ago...

Clearly the best of the four I had been to. (YEs, I did go to 10th, 20th, and 30th too) The people were really glad to see me, and all that crap from high school is so long gone. Everyone treated each other well....
Just glad to be alive and able to show........I may even be part of the 45th..we will see...........
...................Stuart G.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Once you've lived a few decades, all that

high school dog-eat-dog social sparring becomes meaningless.

[Number23]

4. What a nice post

I recently created a page on my high school's web site and was flooded with similar feelings. There were sooooo many people in my graduating class that I simply did not recognize or remember (we had 450 in my class) and there were a few others that I had less than charitable memories of. High school was not that great for me either, but I'm starting to realize that the VAST majority of people feel that way -- unless you're Al Bundy of course, who was the Star of his high school and became a loser the second he left it.

I'm not at the 40 year point, almost at the 20, and I was just starting to wonder when those old feelings of insecurity and inadequacy go away. My life is damn good and seems at least 10 times more interesting than just about every one of the folks on that web site. But yet here I am still feeling like an awkward 16-year old every time I go on that site. Like you, I've gotten some really warm responses from folks but those insecurities are still there. Maybe in another 20 years, I'll be as calm and mature about things as you are now. :)

[Misskittycat]

5. Same thing's happening here. My class is planning the 40th in November.

The organizer set up a website and an email "blog" and people who barely spoke to each other in our snotty high school are now warmly communicating. Classmates from all groups (in group; out groups; jocks; etc.) are expressing the same ("surprising")sense of comfort and nostalgia. With 40 years in the rear-view mirror, there's a lot of "reconciliation" going on -- the benefit of all of us.

[bigwillq]

6. That's great.

I'm happy that you had a good time. :) :hi: