Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Reunion Time


I just nearly had a meltdown right here at work. I'm on Facebook and I get invited to join a group called "Lawson High School Class of 2000 - Reunion." I'm tearful just typing it. And don't be fooled...these are not tears of joy.


Yes, this next May will be 10 years since I graduated from high school. My class, being full of slacker-like people didn't do a 5-year reunion. I probably wouldn't have gone anyway, but then again, that was way before Facebook. A magical thing happened once Facebook came around: you can see who has 43 kids, who has gotten fatter than you, and who is still hanging around the town you're glad you're not in.


A little background: I HATED high school. I'm talented now...I was talented then. I didn't fit in. I'm a pretty serious person with serious ideas and that didn't fit in. I wasn't popular. I wasn't a partier. And, you guessed it: I wasn't a jock. I "played piano...not basketball." Yeah, having your mom say that really gets you on the fast track to popularity.
I had my very small group of friends and I feel confident that I could call either of those people (yes, that means there were two) and still hold a conversation.


I don't want to go back and see these people. Not the two friends I had...but all the rest of the people. I know...there's always the laughing at people who didn't do anything with their lives and there's - again -seeing who didn't escape the clutches of the tight Lawson society. But all-in-all...won't the whole experience just plain suck?


I dont' know.


I joined the Facebook group. People have already written on the wall that this "is soooo exciting!" There's always the option of not going to the reunion just as there was the option to not join the Facebook group...but then you end up being "that guy." You know the one..."I'm too good for you all and I don't want to have anything to do with you."


Well, I may think those things anyway.


I'm sure that this meltdown in a passing thing. Perhaps closer to the reunion time next year I feel such collegial pride that I can't help but to return to the ole stompin' grounds. Plus, ten years is a long time. Popular and unpopular don't matter much now and people, I'm sure, are different than they were then.


So, here's the class of 2000. You can cue that stupid Vitamin C song now. And, yes, just in case you were wondering, that was played by our valedictorian during her speech at commencement. Oh, what a grand time.


Question: What is your favorite memory of your most recent reunion?

10 comments:

  1. I didn't even bother with my high school reunion. My last two years at MOC-FV were awful. I came from a 5A school in Coppell TX, which is in the Dallas Texas area, and finished my last two years of high in the dinky town of Orange city, barely 3A.

    In Coppell, yeah we had our clicks, and we made fun of the clicks, but every group you were in was it's own intimidating entity. You did not mess with anyone in the groups otherwise you met your demise!

    But at MOC-FV in Orange city, it was a completely different story. The level of prejudice and intolerance for the different and unique was mind boggling. It was as if I went through the Stargate in Coppell, and came out in another dimension filled with anger and bitterness, and it was called Orange City.

    I mean good grief! I was looked down upon by all the guys because I was alright with my girlfriend hanging out with other guys without me being there.

    But to be honest, I feel the same as you. I wasn't popular, nor well liked for what I was fond of. I was typically wrote off as weird or not cool. The only reason everyone knew who I was is because of Track, and my artistic abilities. The only time anyone would get along with me was during track season, because they needed me on the relays. but after and before that, I typically had only one or two people who were true friends to me.

    High school reunions, yeah, a complete waste of time if you ask me.

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  2. Favorite? As in, enjoyable? Hmmmm...

    How about having one girl say, "You're due when? But you're so huge!"

    How about having to lie every time someone asked where I work - since I had already been laid off by then?

    Or, I know, telling Brad C about how I had a crush on his friend (NOT there, thank goodness) all through high school. And I wasn't even drinking.

    And then there was realizing that I'm still way more comfortable hanging out with the nerds than the cool kids.

    Oh yeah, and the fact that my class did a 2-part reunion, with the first night being at a FOOTBALL game, where we got to run into a million hometown people.

    I didn't go to our 5 year; I hear it was a drunk fest. And I was fat AND pregnant AND unemployed for the 10 year. So, basically, a good time was had by all.

    HOWEVER, I will say that it was kind of nice to see how everyone's turned out and to realize that this big, scary event I'd built up in my head was actually not that big of a deal. And to realize that seriously? It does not matter one bit what those people think of me. And...here's the actual, real-life positive comment...it was kind of nice to chat with most of the people there for a few minutes.

    I can handle a few minutes every few years.

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  3. P.S. Sorry this is causing a meltdown. If it's any consolation, Sandi and I had many meltdowns of our own. And we did survive.

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  4. P.S. again - Speaking of FB invitations, I got invited to a lesbian party in NYC yesterday from one of my old (hometown) FB friends. And I have to say, it was not surprising. Although, a bit odd that she'd send it to me (or her whole contact list).

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  5. Wow, Jimmy! I've heard that Orange City is a little rough...kind of like Pella, but I'm not sure I had heard it was such a terrible place. I feel your pain. Not that my HS was a terrible place: I feel I got a pretty good education and we never had a school shooting, so safety must have been a priority, but I know how it is to be the outcast. Of course, I can always say that gave me more time to practice and we know where that got me.

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  6. Did you seriously graduate from Lawson?! A good friend of mine is dating a girl that grew up in Lawson who is about our age. This is a strange small world. Anyway, I don't know her last name, and I'm going to guess the two of you didn't hang out together. Really, there seems to be no reason for me to tell you this story, but since I've typed it, I'll post it to give your day some randomness.

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  7. Oh yes, favorite reunion story? I went to my five year reunion so I could hang out with a friend. It was actually awful because the party was lame, the people (excluding my friend and me) were lame, and I was reminded that high school was lame. My advice: don't bother.

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  8. Ohhhh, did you forget about our school shooting? You know, when I was in 3rd grade, and Sandi got nailed in the knee?

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  9. Okay, you asked....

    5year: I went to the 5 year, which was pretty uneventful. Not much had happened in that short time frame.

    10 year: I missed the 10 year.

    20 year: The 20....yea, the 20! So what?! The 20 was at the BOWLING ALLEY in my hometown. CLASSY! The promotional brochure was negative, said that no one had any excuses to miss it especially if (insert name) is coming all the from Colorado. The brochure promoted an "open bar", which I couldn't understand because the organizers were both on public assistance! Come to find out they actually meant: there is a bar in the bowling alley. And it will be open. bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Was fun to see people I hadn't seen in a long time.

    25: oh for gawd sake...yes 25. I am organizing this one. I decided on a winery as the site. And the next day we'll tour the high school with former teachers and principal. Every teacher I've invited is so gracious to have been thought of. A classmate, one who has been shunned by other classmates, contacted EVERYONE in the class to get contact info. Some people won't come because they want nothing to do with the class. Seriously?? We're 42/43 years old and you're STILL holding ridiculous grudges or memories that most people don't remember. Give it up! Find peace! We have an exchange student coming all the way from Spain. Pretty cool, huh. And we'll have people who live right there in town who will be sitting at home in their miserable little drug-induced existence. I'm looking forward to this event. Especially since I've recently lost weight and gotten into shape. Ha! :)

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  10. I think you should go. :) I got sort of tricked into going to an informal reunion the night before the actual [10-year] reunion (didn't go to the actual reunion though), and although it was sort of uncomfortable, I'm also glad I went. Nice to talk to a few people, see how people have changed and yet haven't, etc. And I felt like I had changed too, although those old feelings of insecurity did come rushing back too. ;)

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