She knew one thing embarking on the year 2009 - come August, her graduating class would celebrate its 25 year reunion.
What she didn't know (for certain) was whether or not she would attend. She wasn't so sure high school connections were something she was much interested in kindling. Still, although her class of 1984 had not regularly reunioned, she had managed to consistently attend the every-5-year reunion for the class of 1982. In fact, their 20th reunion marked a turning point of her life, in that she attended it with her 1st husband, during a rocky (if yet hopeful) time in their marriage. Five years later, she attended the same class's 25 reunion with her second husband. Two husbands, both graduated from the same school the same year. Talk about awkward. If she survived THAT... (and natural childbirth...and running two marathons), then by God, she could do this!
Being a writer, she thought this whole reunion setting fiasco might just make a compelling setting for her novel or screenplay. She learned and changed a lot during those 5 years -- and the drama? - ha ha ha <evil laugh> -- while it sucked to live through it, there was no denying that it could definitely entertain a crowd....
And so, with her writer/storyteller mission at hand, the debating about whether to go or not go seemed pretty laughable. The writer must go where the story can unfold -- and she must pay attention.
A choice clearly made has an opportunity to begin changing things.... From the time she sent her check in, put her name on the "Attending" List, classmates from 1984 began appearing everywhere - in dreams and email, in grocery stores and coffee shops -- but most auspiciously, on the one and only Facebook. Whoa. Suddenly, all those folks who seemed so daunting in the highschool hallways years ago were Facebook "Friends." Months before the event itself, she was catching up with photos and memories, learning who lived where, who married who, who divorced who, who was doing what.... She LOVED this finger-on-the-keyboard tapping into the safe end of reuniting. Truly, Facebook added an element of connection that eased anxiety and upped anticipation for something as traumatic as a 25 year HS Reunion.
What she didn't know (for certain) was whether or not she would attend. She wasn't so sure high school connections were something she was much interested in kindling. Still, although her class of 1984 had not regularly reunioned, she had managed to consistently attend the every-5-year reunion for the class of 1982. In fact, their 20th reunion marked a turning point of her life, in that she attended it with her 1st husband, during a rocky (if yet hopeful) time in their marriage. Five years later, she attended the same class's 25 reunion with her second husband. Two husbands, both graduated from the same school the same year. Talk about awkward. If she survived THAT... (and natural childbirth...and running two marathons), then by God, she could do this!
Being a writer, she thought this whole reunion setting fiasco might just make a compelling setting for her novel or screenplay. She learned and changed a lot during those 5 years -- and the drama? - ha ha ha <evil laugh> -- while it sucked to live through it, there was no denying that it could definitely entertain a crowd....
And so, with her writer/storyteller mission at hand, the debating about whether to go or not go seemed pretty laughable. The writer must go where the story can unfold -- and she must pay attention.
A choice clearly made has an opportunity to begin changing things.... From the time she sent her check in, put her name on the "Attending" List, classmates from 1984 began appearing everywhere - in dreams and email, in grocery stores and coffee shops -- but most auspiciously, on the one and only Facebook. Whoa. Suddenly, all those folks who seemed so daunting in the highschool hallways years ago were Facebook "Friends." Months before the event itself, she was catching up with photos and memories, learning who lived where, who married who, who divorced who, who was doing what.... She LOVED this finger-on-the-keyboard tapping into the safe end of reuniting. Truly, Facebook added an element of connection that eased anxiety and upped anticipation for something as traumatic as a 25 year HS Reunion.
The reunion weekend itself was a high energy blur of recognizing, remembering, and re-connecting. She recognized how much she had changed and grown; she remembered how frightened and intimidated she used to feel in the presence of these very people - in the presence of ALL people - and was so pleased to have an experience where that fear didn't have all her attention - instead, she could attend to the amazing gathering of very real people with whom she had survived adolescence. She re-connected deeply with some that, if not for the event and her willingness to be there, she may never have truly known again.....
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