My 10-year high school reunion was this past weekend. Did I attend? For five minutes after receiving my invitation, I did entertain the idea. I mentally went through the checklist of things that keep people from going to reunions.
Have I gained a grotesque amount of weight or had a piece of my face surgically removed? No.
Am I unemployed, or employed by a gas station or government agency? No.
Have I been married more than four times? No.
Do I live with a family member? No.
And maybe I misjudged some of the people who served as a continual source of irritation. Maybe the people who made me miserable were just as immature as I was in high school, and now that we're grown ups we'll meet again as totally new people and have something to talk about.
So I basked in that idealized notion for a few moments, and then I read further on the invitation. The event would be held at a casino. A block of rooms would be reserved "for anyone who wants to hang."
Jesus, I thought. It's prom night.
And then the reality of it all came back, and I had a very strong urge to extend my middle finger to the entire high school experience, dye my hair black, skip dinner, and read complicated literature.
So no, I ditched the reunion. I stayed home with the people I actually care about and felt smugly superior to those who would look down on anyone who did not care to "hang." Hmm. Just like prom.
1 comment:
My god, just like my 25th reunion! And I didn't go for the same reasons. On the invitation to an evening event, it specified dress as "Casual - slacks, skirts, polo shirts, etc." Yes... see, I'm 43 years old, and I think I have reached a level of sophistication where I can dress myself appropriately without advice from someone who used to wear a cheerleader's outfit, ya know? For the time of the event, it said "From 7 til ???" just as we did for invitations to parties where the parents were not present. Oooh, look, we can stay out as late as we want!
It just reminded me too much of being 17 years old. Those things were important then. Some of these people really did not change, or are too eager to return to that way of being. I'll pass, thanks. Maybe wait for the 50th...
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