Posts Tagged ‘high school reunion’
20 Year Reunion, Part 2
We finished up the weekend with dinner at the Denver Aquarium and then a picnic today at a park.
I have to be brutally honest here – I actually enjoyed the weekend. No… I loved it. I wasn’t really sure what to expect or even if there would be anyone there to talk to. Instead, it was one great conversation after another.
The committee is actually contemplating doing a 25 year reunion on a cruise. If that happens, I’d have to go. This weekend has been that good of an experience. Amy and I now have some local friends to catch up with over the next few months.
So many names and faces that I reconnected with this weekend. Lots of laughter and memories.
Couple of highlights for me.
Senior Skip Day. Karen Willet actually reminded me of this day. We went downtown, goofed off (Paul and I were masters of this) then I got my Ford Tempo buried in mud in an off limits section of Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center.
Paul and I got out of the mud to push us out and we both sank up to our waists. My girlfriend at the time was NOT a happy camper as we had to call her dad to come pull us out with a 4 wheel drive. Of course, Paul’s dad got in on the act as every time I saw him after this day – he never failed to mention what a dork I was.
They had a slide show last night and about 3/4 way through it, I leaned over to Amy and said “Looks like I escaped.”
I spoke WAY to soon.
One of the last pictures was a close up of me and Margaret Bryan (we were dating) and I had the Richard Marks look going on – long, curly, permed hair in the back. On top of that I had the big, round, ‘lawyer’ glasses going on. The reaction from the class was brutal. And honestly, throwing down that look – I deserved it.
Today at the park, one of my classmates commented that Rangeview had drastically changed once our class left the building. I imagine every class feels that way but he what he went on to say actually made sense.
“We were the first 4 year class at that school, all of us lived in the neighborhood, almost all of our parents were blue-collar, no frills people. Yeah, we had our little groups but for a class our size, almost everybody liked everybody else.”
He’s right. I’m not sure why it all played out that way in high school. But for me to move into Rangeview the close to the middle of my junior year and to have as many friends as I did speaks volume of my classmates. Most of them had grown up with each other, through elementary and middle school. Yet, I never felt like an outsider.
Great weekend. So glad I went.
The 20 Year Reunion, Part 1
I drug Amy to my 20 year high school reunion mixer last night. We met at Jackson’s Bar right across from Coors Field. Tonight we’ll eat dinner at the Aquarium.
Confession 1: I was nervous and a bit anxious about going. In fact, a couple of times I thought about looking at Amy and saying – ‘Hey, let’s go rob a bank instead.”
But we had already paid for the weekend. So we were going.
Confession 2: I graduated with over 550 people in my class. 20 years ago. I hadn’t seen any of them since. Would any of us recognize each other?
Reality 1: There will be people at any reunion that either have super-photographic memories OR they’ve spent the last 3 weeks scouring over the yearbook. I am not one of those people. I had a few people holler my name, hug my neck and I had no idea who they were.
That of course led to the awkward moment of when I had to say – “You know…I gotta tell you, I’m not sure if I know who you are.”
Reality 2: Some of us never grow up – it’s a good thing. Lots of laughs, lots of ‘remember the time’ stories. I think the greatest compliment I got was – “You look exactly the way you did in high school.” The second greatest compliment was upon hearing that I was now a youth pastor. “Oh my gosh!!! That is so YOUUUU.”
Reality 3: Some of us never grow up – it’s a bad thing. There was one guy at the reunion that was really having a good time. Still being barely able to talk coherently after more than a few brews. He’s still funny. He still makes you laugh but in the back of my mind I wonder – is this the highlight for him? There’s got to be more there, right?
Reality 4: You’ll connect with someone at a reunion that you never connected with at high school. And it will be awesome. Met a guy that lives in Parker, loves Jesus now and in high school we might have said two words to each other. It was great. Another gal – actually his sister-in-law – that both of our families hit it off.
Reality 5: There are some friends that you can pick up right where you left off. Mike Greenwood, Paul Velakaneye, and I hung out all time. Mike and Paul roomed together at college while I left the state entirely. (I think Paul never forgave me for that.) Talking with Mike was awesome, still easy-going yet speak what’s on my mind kind of guy.
I’m very glad I went. I’m looking forward to tonight.
Greatest Verbal Exchange of the Evening:
“Grant, didn’t you move into Rangeview in the middle of your junior year?”
“Yeah…but sitting the bench on the basketball team, I actually made a lot of friends.”
“Did you play on the state championship team your senior year?”
“No. I got cut. Then half the team got ineligible. But that time I was doing the ‘thespian’ thing.”
[Long Pause]
“That must have been very rewarding for you.”
I don’t think we stopped laughing for five minutes.