I missed my 30th class reunion, which was just held in early June. I was on my trip to Cross Plains, Texas at the time. But I saw the pictures today. Man my classmates have gotten old. It’s amazing considering that I’ve barely aged a day. Frankly, I wouldn’t have recognized 2/3rds of them on the street. Seeing the names, then making the connections to the pictures and maybe picking out a feature here or there that I recognized, really set the old nostalgia bone to tingling. I’ve never been much for nostalgia. I tend to look forward and most of the time it seems that my life now is much better than the emotional suffering I went through as a teenager. But once in a while…I think back. I wonder if that will get more frequent as I age.
In other news, I’ll be leaving for a bit again at the first of July to go see my mom in Arkansas. She was 90 last year and I understand from my brother that she is growing pretty frail. Because of all the hassle after Hurricane Katrina it’s been over a year since I’ve been to see her. In the meantime, my 19 year old son has strep throat, and my left rear tire has a slow leak, and…well…you know.
I will be a guest at BabelCon 2007 in Baton Rouge, where I’ll be on a panel about alien biology as related to alien intelligence. Not quite sure what I will say on the subject yet, but the con is not until August 4th so I have a bit of time. If you’re going to be in Baton Rouge around that time stop in.
That's some scary stuff, seeing pics of the former classmates. Me, I'll stick to the Dorian Gray plan where possible. Sounds like a lot of activity -- good luck!
ReplyDeleteI went to my 10-year reunion but missed my 20th. The 30th is yet to be but I'm not sure I'll try to go back.
ReplyDeleteIt's better sometimes for people and things to stay perfect in memory rather than get tarnished by reality. The Statler Brothers' "Class of '57" always makes me kind of sad.
Erik's got a good idea with the Dorian Gray thing.
I missed my 20th and was looking forward to the 30th, but they didn't have it. I love reunions. It's because I'm so nosy.
ReplyDeleteYikes, class reunion. I missed my 5th in May. Yeah, yeah, I'm a young'un. I think it's too early for that stuff anyway for me. I think I'll wait for the 20th and then, by God I hope to be published and I can wave the fact in everyones faces. Hee-hee.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your son and slow leaky tire. I've never had strep throat before, but my wife has and so have my kids, I seem impervious to the illness...perhaps I'm some sort of biological wonder...okay perhaps not. I just kept my distance and eventually the doctor gave me this pill so I wouldn't cath the stuff. Then I took care of them and waited on them.
I hate when tires get a slow leak and you don't figure it out until you're on a long trip and the tire goes flat halfway there. Sucks the big one in my opinion.
Unfortunatley I won't be anywhere near Baton Rouge when you're there. The farthest I can afford to travel now days is to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, and South and North Dakota. Surrounding states, in other words. I'm a poor young person, I know, I know.
Great post! Catch ya later!
I've thought several times about going to my reunions, but always chickened out. My class had 680 people—one high school served the entire township—so I didn't know most of my classmates back then. I looked in my high school yearbook recently and realized that few names or faces were even vaguely familiar. Even the people I knew well didn't look the same as I remembered them.
ReplyDeleteWhen the ex classmate called me to see if I was going to be able to make to the 10th, 20th, 30th all the answer I could give them was a hardy round of laughter. I went to school with the same people for 11 years and to be honest I wouldn't recognize a one of them and am more then happy to only think of them once every ten years when I get a call.
ReplyDeleteI probably won't laugh again until 2011, when they call for the 40th.
Strep throat curable, flat tire *shrug* shit happens, and have a great trip to see your mom and hope the food is free at the conference.
MUCH peace
TWM
I went to some of my high school reunions in the early years, but stopped after a few. Each time I ended up with a pounding headache. No matter what I'd achieved in the years after high school, being around those people made me feel as dorky and uncool as I felt in high school. No fault of theirs--everyone at the reunions was always nice to me. It was a reflex reaction, a conditioned response still hanging over from the past. I realized, "It's not them, it's me." I realized I didn't have to inflict that on myself any more. The people I was closest to in those days didn't attend them, and there wasn't much point in going just to hobnob with people I hadn't known well and don't care about. I doubt I'll ever see any of them again....Gee, I sound bitter, don't I? It shows how long those adolescent feelings live within us.
ReplyDeleteNo reunions for me, but I have stayed in touch with a couple of great friends from that period in my life.
ReplyDeleteMay you have a nice visit with your Mom. It's hot and dry up in these here parts.
The conference sounds interesting and I wish you loads of luck with your topic. It should lead to some great blog posts.
No reunions for me.
ReplyDeleteAlways feel they are organized by those to whom high school graduation was their ultimate achievement.
I think I've had similar experiences to Sphinx Ink. Everyone is nice to me, I just happen to have those same feelings of not belonging and wishing I were back home. Still, did go to my 10th (tricked into it) and 20th (friends I still know from then twisted my rubber arm). But my 30th? Maybe I'll just have a private reunion of friends I still know from then. They're the only reason I go, anyway.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your visit with your mom. One day at a time is all you can do.