Has it been 30 years already?

     This past weekend, I attended my thirty-year high school reunion.
     So. Much. Fun.
     Friday night was a casual happy hour at a local pub, and Saturday night was a dressier gathering at a nearby country club.
     There is nothing like seeing my former classmates to turn back the clock. And yet, I couldn't help but be reminded that my life, up until the time I graduated, was short compared to the 30 years since.
     And while those days were often fun, they, of course, were filled with all the trappings of adolescence... limited wisdom, frequent insecurity, and peers who were just putting it all together themselves.
     Seeing everyone again, I realized that I am much more a product of the last 30 years than the first 17. And really, more like the last ten. I suppose every stage of life helps you evolve to the next.
     Here is my recap from this weekend...
    ... First of all, I graduated with my husband, though we were not high school sweethearts. It was nice to go with him, as he knew everybody, too. Spouses not part of the class must really love their mates to accompany them to these things.
    ... The reunion was fun. Most everybody seemed happy to see everybody again. I stayed out past 1:30 a.m. both nights. I never do that anymore.
    ... The further back I go in my early life, the more I remember. Most of my memories swirled around elementary school, then junior high, then high school. And I probably spent more time with the people I had known the longest, or the people that I have remained friends with.
    ... Everyone always asks how everybody looked. I thought everybody looked great. The "it-girls" are still pretty, and the best looking guy in high school was more handsome than ever. And they were all very kind. And nice to talk to.
    ... I was a pom-pom girl in high school. Two fellow poms remembered (and quietly performed) a couple of the routines we had done back then. Unbelievable. I didn't remember the steps at all. How did they do that?
    ... There was one girl talking about how old she felt, and how her job was joyless. I felt bad for her.
    ... It's hard to believe that these high-schoolers are nearly 5o years old. Our homecoming queen was a very cute girl. She is still very cute. Just in her late forties. Weird.
    ... I was kind of plain in high school. Somewhat cute, I guess, but I was not one of the popular beauties. Still, people were very complimentary of how I looked this weekend, and several people marveled at how I "hadn't aged at all." They all said I looked exactly as I did then. Do you think maybe I looked like I was 48 in my younger days? I tell you what will age you... staying out past 1:30 every weekend.
    ... As much as some said I looked the same, there were some people there who looked exactly like their parents. It surprised me, but in a good way. Funny.
    ... At reunions, you never get to spend as much time catching up with some people as you'd like. And you certainly cannot explain who you have become, or hear very much about their life since graduation, in the 5 or 10 minutes that you have with them. The very people you spent time with once upon a time are now nearly complete strangers. Oh, the bittersweetness of reunions.
     Still, I wouldn't have missed it.

     Here we were in 1981. Look how cute my husband looks. Little did we know we would meet again ten years later, marry, and share a life together. 

Cheryl

Mark

     And here we are 30 years later...

Off to the reunion

     My best to the Class of '81. May God bless you all.