Karen Foley
Lynn Raye Harris
Ellen Hartman
Diana Holquist
Samantha Hunter
Shirley Jump
Dee Tenorio
Jeannie Watt
Welcome Guest Blogger Michelle Monkou!
High School Reunions & Childhood Dreams
I attended high school in the early ‘80s when MTV was still new and fantastic. Breakfast Club, the movie, looked like a template of my school life. Students had labels and stereotypes that were earned or handed to them. We had our lives in front of us and couldn’t wait to go out and conquer the world. For the most part, we were a confident bunch of young people.
I was going to be a dancer. I had danced to the theme of The Wiz (Quincy Jones interpretation of The Wizard of Oz), Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Vivaldi’s Winter, and the theme from Magnum, P.I. to name a few. My passion for dance was almost equal to my passion for choreography. In my yearbook, many students wished me well on my way to becoming a dancer.
The professional dance career never happened. My mother was too pragmatic as she counted off the downside to such a career. And I wasn’t the type to leave my comfortable home to go to New York to be discovered. Heck, New York still overwhelms me and I’m in my 40’s.
Instead, in college, I studied English (after going through a kaleidoscope of majors) and danced in the Dance Theater group. In a two-folded way, I got to read lots of books and poetry and fulfill my dancing passion.
Occasionally I’d bump into a high school mate. More often than not, the over-confident air of conquering the world was diminished. Maturity and responsibility had managed to push aside the blind optimism, but that’s not always a bad thing. We all have to grow up.
Once the high school reunions started at five-year increments, suddenly I didn’t have the desire to revisit. For the first five years, I looked at where I was as a college graduate, working at the bottom rung of a chemical company, barely able to afford the apartment that I just had to have and not feeling successful enough to go to the high school reunion.
Are high school reunions to reunite with friends? Actually I was already in touch with those I wanted to keep as friends. Or are high school reunions to show off.
Ten years came and went. Can’t remember if they did 15 years. But finally the 20th year anniversary came. By this time, I’m married with children, working, and I’m published. Finally I was ready to go to the reunion. And I wanted to show off.
And you know what was the most interesting thing – the people that I didn’t care for in school, I still had no desire to reconnect. These were people who were the loud mouths, the bullies, the rude, obnoxious ones. My friends and I shared a laugh that our collective reaction when one of those people walked through the door at the reunion was to groan. Who knew that people can impact your life to that extent.
Since then we’ve lost a few to illnesses and other tragic circumstances. Our hips are spreading. Hair lines are receding. Lines are appearing. Life is letting us know that we are not invincible.
With the 25th high school reunion recently over without my attendance, I wonder how many of us fulfilled our childhood dreams. How many of us are now going after those dreams? How many of us are finally happy with who we are?
Now I’m enjoying my passion as a romance writer. This is the life!
Michelle Monkou
»
Welcome Michelle
Good to see you here. :)
I have never been to a reunion, and have no desire to go to them. I'm not much of one for visiting the past, though I am very happy with my present. I actually haven't maintained any friendships since high school, I live in a different city now, and I have a new group of friends I made as an adult, and I think I found new dreams, too, all good ones. :) Honestly, in high school, I think I flip-flopped over what I wanted more than anything, I remember wanting to be everything from a writer to a scientist to an interpreter, LOL. I guess writer stuck, eventually... ;)
Sam
Big Thanks
Sam
Thank you for accommodating me at your wonderful blog.
I had a busy day today signing books alongside Nora Roberts, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Kay McComas, Mary Blayney, and Donna Kauffman at Nora's family bookstore. Lots of fun. Slightly exhausted -- LOL. She had a tour bus of her fans breeze through. Even met two ladies who drove from Connecticut -- WOW!
Michelle
I went to my 30 year class
I went to my 30 year class reunion and came to the same conclusion you did---WHY? Next up is 50 years and I don't think I'll go.
Getting Old
Another thought I had when I saw the photos from this year's reunion was - Wow, people are getting old.
Then that inner voice remarked - And what do you think people say about you LOL!!
Michelle
Hi, Michelle!
Congrats on living a fulfilling life! :) I agree that the reunions aren't too exciting--I went to my 10th and spent a lot of time feeling like I ought to recognize these people who looked vaguely familiar... I think for me, most of the people who I care to stay in touch with, I already do or can. So I opted out of the 20th (I'm sure my husband was relieved not to have to go along and make small talk with strangers) :) At this point, I'm living a life I'm thankful to have--I'm fortunate enough to be able to be staying home with our kids. (I think some days they may not feel quite the same way ;))
I haven't been to any
and I have no desire to do so. Thankfully my husband feels the same way about his. I do keep in touch with a few very good friends though.
High School Reunion
I don't think that I'll go to another one. One of my buddies that I reconnected with at the 20th anniversary passed from colon cancer. After all this time, we were going to keep in touch and then in the blink of an eye, she was gone. It really brought the reality to the forefront.
Michelle
Hi Michelle!
I think I went to my fifteenth class reunion, and that was it. No desire to go to another one, either. There's nobody I feel like I need to see--I married my high school sweetheart and still keep in close contact with my best girlfriends. I live in the same town where I grew up, so I tend to see many of my former classmates when I'm just out doing errands, etc. After my first book was published, I did get a couple of emails from girls I went to high school with, who had read the book and enjoyed it, so that did make me feel good. But I definitely don't feel like I need to go to another reunion, and thankfully, DH feels the same way!
Yeah to High School Sweethearts
I married my college sweetheart.
We had several couples that we were soooo tight during school that we just knew they were going to be married and live happily ever after. But quite a few didn't make it.
But I did meet one couple who were dating and no one knew. They are married with kids and I'm so happy for them.
Congrats on your wonderful high school sweetheart story.
Michelle
I'm the odd one...
My high school only does reunions once every 10 years. I moved out of state right after graduation and only kept in touch with a couple people. I went back for my 10 year and really enjoyed it. It was fun to see and chat with people for a while, but there was no expectation that you'd stay in touch if you weren't already. I do plan on going to my 20th if I can. There were just under 120 in my class, so maybe that has something to do with it? It was rather like an epilogue...you get to know what happened to people, but you don't have to read the whole life story! :-)
Earlier this summer we went to DH's 20th. He'd hardly been in touch with anyone since he graduated (and hadn't been to previous reunions), and I'd never been to that area of Texas to see where he grew up. I had a ball watching him reconnect with old friends and meeting people he had told me stories about. Does he really keep in more contact with them? No...but again we thought it was fun. We'll probably do his 30th.